
Book 'i % f\S 




Steamboat Rock, Hardin County. 



^taU of Jnuia 
1919 



IOWA PARKS 



Conservation of loAva 
Historic, Scenic and 
Scientific Areas. 



Also a Description of Numerous Areas Suitable for Public State 
Parks, with Reasons for Their Preservation. 



Report of the 
"^ ... STATE BOARD OF CONSERVATION. 



Published by 

THE STATE OF IOWA 

Des Moines 






. Of i). 



'UN 24 



jy^G 



is- 



THE IOWA STATE BOARD OF CONSERVATION, 



L. H. Pammel, Ames, 
J. F. Ford, Fort Dodge, 
Joseph Kelso, Bellevue, 
E. R. Harlan, Des Moines. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



SCENERY Group 

County after page 

Allamakee Balsam Fir 224 

Islands in Mississippi River 192 

" Mississippi River near Lansing 192 

" Mississippi River and Steamboat 192 

" Waterville Park and Stream 192 

Waterville Park and Bluff 128 

White Pines and Birch 224 

" Yellow River 160 

Boone Entrance to the Ledges 192 

Bremer Waverly Park 64 

Buena Vista Little Sioux River at Sioux Rapids 96 

Calhoun North Twin Lake 192 

Cerro Gordo Clear Lake Shore 64 

Clay Little Sioux River at Peterson 192 

Clayton Balanced Rock, Bixby Park 160 

Paradise Valley, Bixby Park 224 

Delaware Crags in Devil's Backbone Park 192 

Devil's Backbone Park 128 

Dickinson Sunset on Lake Okoboji 128 

Dubuque Limestone Towers, Catfish Creek 64 

Floyd Big Boulder in southeast part of County 96 

Hamilton Little Wall Lake 192 

Hardin Iowa River Gorge, Iowa Falls 64 

Steamboat Rock Frontispiece 

Jackson Moorehead Caves near Maquoketa 224 

Natural Bridge near Maquoketa 96 

St. Donatus (Tete des Morts) 96 

Linn Palisades, Cedar River 96 

Palisades, Cedar River and Limestone Cliffs 160 

Louisa Myerholz Lake 160 

Lyon Sioux Quartzite and Jasper Pool 128 

Madison Backbone Tunnel 96 

Wooded scene at Devil's Backbone 192 

Mahaska The Bluffs on Des Moines River 64 

Marion Red Rock 192 

" Ruckman's Annual Soap Making 64 

" " Cabin, Exterior of 224 

" " Interior of 64 

Mills Waubonsie Trail Scene 64 



vi PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Group 
County after page 

Monona Loess Topography 224 

Loess Bluffs from Wooded Side 224 

Muscatine Wild Cat Den, White Pines at 128 

Osceola Ocheyedan Mound 192 

Palo Alto Silver Lake, Dam and Outlet 224 

Pottawattamie. . . .Loess Bluffs near Crescent 128 

Van Buren Farmington Park Lilies 160 

" " Keosauqua Park, Des Moines River 160 

" " Scene in 128 

Wapello Monkey Mountain, Projecting Stone at 224 

Wall of Rock near 128 

Webster Boneyard Hollow 192 

Winneshiek Ice Cave near Decorah 96 

" Grand View Upper Iowa River, Decorah 96 

PLANTS 

Anemonella 128 

Beard Tongue 128 ■ 

Botrydrium of the Woods 64 

Canerlain Yew 192 

Closed Gentian 160 

Fringed Gentian 160 

Isopyrum 160 

Lady-slipper 96 

Marginal Fern 224 

Ninebark 160 

Ostrich Fern 224 

Basque Flower 192 

Prairie Clover 160 

Purple Corn Flower 192 

Reindeer Lichen 192 

Shooting Star 224 

Walking Leaf Fern 128 

Wild Iowa Crab 128 

Wild Plants, Group of 224 

Wild Rice and Arrowhead 224 



AMBASSADOR BRYCE ON CONSERVATION 



Ambassador James Bryce, probably the most helpful critic of 
American institutions and affairs who has visited the United 
States said : 

"The world seems likely to last a long, long time, and we ought 
to make provision for the future. 

"The population of the world goes on constantly increasing 
and nowhere increasing so fast as in America. (North.) 

"A taste for natural beauty is increasing, and as we hope, will 
go on increasing. 

"The places of scenic beauty do not increase, but, on the con- 
trary are in danger of being reduced in number and diminished 
in quantity, and the danger is always increasing with the accumu- 
lation of wealth, owing to the desire of private persons to appro- 
priate these places. There is no better service we can render 
to the masses of the people than to set about and preser\'e for 
them wide spaces of fine scenery for their delight. 

"From these propositions I draw the conclusion that it is neces- 
sary to save what we have got, and to extend the policy which 
you have wisely adopted, by acquiring and preserving still 
further areas for the perpetual enjoyment of the people." — Annals 
of Iowa. Vol. XL No. 2-3-p. 112. 



IOWA STATE PARKS 



Brief Description of Areas in Iowa Which Have Been Ac- 
quired or Are in Course of Acquisition for 
Public State Parks. 



BONEYARD HOLLOW AND WOODMAN'S HOLLOW, WEBSTER 

COUNTY. 

About ten miles southeast of Fort Dodge on the west bank of the 
Des Moines river; wild and beautiful scenery; rare plants and forestry; 
adapted to summer and winter sports; interesting historic associations 
and unusual pre-historic works and discoveries. Four hundred and fifty- 
seven acres purchased for thirty-eight thousand, five hundred dollars, 
toward which the local citizens paid ten thousand dollars in cash and pro- 
vided, cost free to the state, two appropriate roadways. 

THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, DELAWARE COUNTY. 

Twelve miles northwest of Manchester, four miles northeast from La- 
mont, four miles southeast of Strawberry Point; good roads. Pur- 
chased almost entirely from funds derived from half the hunting license 
proceeds, under Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh General Assem- 
bly, therefore by the State Board of Conservation characterized as "The 
Gift of the Iowa Sportsmen to the People of the State." First public state 
park acquired; most wild and wonderful scenic area in interior Iowa; 
great bend of Maquoketa river; immense spring is a constant supply for 
fine trout brook; Maquoketa river to and including an ancient mill em- 
braced; rare plants and forestry including best typical growth of native 
white pines; grotesque weathering of ancient limestone; unusual and rare 
glacial and erosive effects displayed; ideal camping place when facilities 
are provided. All lands purchased; total area, 1,400 acres. 

NEAR FARMINGTON, VAN BUREN COUNTY. 

One-half mile south of Farmington near Des Moines river, and state 
roads, unique geology; scenic gem; original timber undisturbed; natural 
lake and marsh of forty acres proposed to be improved so as to cover 
sixty acres; perfect for stocking with bullheads and other fish; rare 
field of lotus or chinquapin; throngs of the cardinal and other birds 
winter and summer; muskrat and other fur bearers numerous. One hun- 
dred acres purchased by local citizens for seventy-five hundred dollars and 
presented cost free to the state which has engaged to purchase two 



X PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

additional acres, condemn or acquire roadways and improve the same 
and otherwise render the area enjoyable. 

NEAR KEOSAUQUA, VAN BUREN COUNTY. 

Extends from the town along the south bank of the Des Moines river 
at the toe of the horseshoe bend some two miles up stream, thence south- 
ward from the stream to include some 1,400 acres. Natural wild life 
sanctuary and set apart to the unmodified and undisturbed use of th^ 
natural species of wild animal and plant life; rough, wooded, brushy, the 
high hills affording rarest of vistas up, down and across stream and 
crowned with prehistoric mounds; the ruffed grouse observed in summer 
1919, with quail most abundant; winter resort and summer breeding 
place of the cardinal; numerous dens of fox, skunk, mink, raccoon, op- 
posum and groundhog; for a mile in all directions of the state lands, 
landowners voluntarily engage to assist the state in its protecting wild 
life, both on their lands and the lands of the state so that there shall be 
a protected undisturbed breeding place of approximately 5,000 acres; 
"Ely's Ford," a historic river crossing of pre-railroad days, famous then 
and ever since as a camping site for hunting, fishing, bathing and for 
winter sports. Acquired by purchase at an average of fifty dollars per 
acre to which local citizens contributed in cash something over seventy- 
six hundred dollars. 

LEPLEY PARK, HARDIN COUNTY. 

Three miles in a northerly direction from Union. Nine acres presented 
cost free to the people of Iowa by Mr. Irvin Lepley; the state to purchase 
some additional twenty acres. On the tract presented and that to be 
acquired are magnificent oak, elm, walnut, basswood and nearly every 
other native species of timber, wild flowers, woods, river, and important 
highways near make of this place an ideal gift to be dedicated to the 
perpetual use to which it has been, devoted from the earliest civilized 
times, namely, the enjoyment of the great outdoors. The board feels that 
in withholding from mercenary disposition this area and its transfer to 
the state in the way and for the purposes stated, warrants the board in 
commending Mr. Lepley to the gratitude of the people of the state. 

NEAR OAKLAND, POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY. 

The Oakland Chautauqua Association donates, cost free to the state 
of Iowa, its fifteen acres of ground of a high pecuniary value and still 
higher esthetic value as the first roadside park in Iowa, upon the condi- 
tion that the state acquire a small additional area of ground completing 
and perfecting the foundation of an ideal roadside park. The additional 
ground being held at an exorbitant price, is yet to be condemned. The 
committee commends to citizens in other parts of Iowa the spirit of the 
Oakland Chautauqua Association as of the most practical, unselfish and 
farseeing character. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA xl 

NEAR OAKLA*ND MILLS, HENRY COUNTY. 

Four miles southwest of Mt. Pleasant on Skunk river, accessible from 
state roads, resorted to from remotest civilized and even during Indian 
times, for fishing and sugar making; rare plants and forestry; good 
boating and bathing; beautiful scenery; interesting history, 
acres in extent, a part of the ground and four thousand dollars donated, 
the state purchasing acres. Additional areas on margins of 

streams should be donated to the state, giving it complete, undisputed 
control. 

ROOSEVELT PARK, FLOYD COUNTY. 

Three miles in a northerly direction from Greene and four miles in a 
southeasterly direction from Marble Rock on the banks of the Shell Rock 
river. C. M. Mather donates cost free to the people of the state, some 
fifteen acres of ground together with an appropriate roadway thereto, 
providing the state acquire some additional ground, denominate this 
"Roosevelt Park," and furthermore, that in the use of this area certain 
rules differential to Sundays be established and enforced. A fine growth 
of woods and flowers; resort of every species of bird native and migratory 
in that region; picturesque bluffs and ravines; a dam in the river at 
Greene affords fine boating and fishing; for years much resorted to for 
fishing and to some extent for camping. The State Board of Conservation 
regards the donation of Mr. Mather as a distinctly public-spirited acMt and 
beneficial to the people of the state beyond present valuation. It individ- 
ually and positively expressed to Mr. Mather, and here records that ex- 
pression, that the reasonable rules recognizing and differentiating Sunday 
as the one day on which pastimes and performances of all sorts shall be 
in harmony with the mental attitude of devout people is a wholesome and 
welcome condition precedent to public acceptance of this gift. 

WILD CAT DEN, MUSCATINE COUNTY. 

Eight miles northeast of Muscatine near good roads. Misses Emma C. 
and Clara L. Brandt, nature loving sisters, present, cost free, sixty 
acres of the heart of one of the richest floral regions in the state. Pic- 
turesque in every way and the resort for years of classes in botany and 
forestry from the Chicago University and other institutions of learning; 
fishing, boating and bathing available especially if the area embrace one 
of the few remaining water power mills on the smaller stream. The 
state and local citizens engage to acquire the remainder of 300 acres 
along Pine creek to its confluence with the Mississippi river. 



PROPOSED IOWA STATE PARKS 



Areas in Iowa Suggested by Responsible Citizens as Suitable 
For Public Park Purposes and So Regarded by tbe Board 
of Conservation, From Which Selections Will Be 
Made, Not Yet Acquired For the Want of Ap- 
propriate Conditions Found or Created. 



FIRST DISTRICT. 



Des Moines Co., Starr's Cave — Cave and glen near Burlington. 

Jefferson Co., Cedar Creek — Woods south of Fairfield. 

Lee Co.', Keokuk — Bluffs near Mississippi river. 

Lee Co., Murray's Landing — Camp ground on Skunk river. 

Louisa Co., Myerholz Lake — Near Wapello. 

Louisa Co., Odessa Lake — East of Wapello. 

Louisa Co., Toolsboro — Indian mounds, mouth Iowa river. 

SECOND DISTRICT. 

Jackson Co., Morehead Caves — Northwest of Maquoketa. 
Jackson Co., Tete des Morts — Historic, picturesque, near Bellevue. 
Muscatine Co., Chaney Lake — Near Bayfield and Cedar river. 
Muscatine Co., Park Place Addition — Suburbs of Muscatine. 

t 

THIRD DISTRICT. 

Black Hawk Co., Cedar Heights — Near Cedar Falls on Cedar river. 

Black Hawk Co., Island — Above Cedar Falls. 

Bremer Co., Shell Rock — Southwest of Waverly. 

Bremer Co., Waverly Park — In suburbs of Waverly. 

Dubuque Co., Catfish Creek — Two miles from Dubuque. 

Dubuque Co., Durango Road — North of Dubuque. 

Hardin Co., Alden, Iowa Falls — Along Iowa river. 

Hardin Co., Steamboat Rock — Scenic, scientific, on Iowa river. 

Wright Co., Cornelia Lake — Six miles northeast of Clarion. 

Wright Co., Elm Lake — Six miles north of Clarion. 

Wright Co., Twin Sisters' Lake — West of Belmond. 

Wright Co., Wall Lake — Eleven miles southeast of Clarion. 

FOURTH DISTRICT. 

Allamakee Co., The Fish Farm — Indian mounds, near Lansing. 
Allamakee Co., Waterville — Scenic and scientific. 



xiv PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Allamakee Co., Yellow River- — Scenic and scientific. 

Cerro Gordo Co., Clear Lake^ — Land bordering the lake. 

Cerro Gordo Co., Hackberry Grove — Fossil beds, near Portland. 

Chickasaw Co., Nashua Park — Near Nashua, woods. 

Chickasaw Co., Nashua Lake — Near Nashua on Cedar river. 

Clayton Co., Bixby Park — Wooded and scenic, southwest part of Clay- 
ton county. 

Fayette Co., Arlington — Scenic, near Arlington. 

Fayette Co., Button's Cave — Scenic, wooded, six miles from West 
Union. 

Fayette Co., Falling Springs — Scenic, four miles northwest of West 
Union. 

Fayette Co., Rocky Dell — Scenic, four miles northwest of West Union. 

Floyd Co., Big Boulder — Biggest boulder in west, near Nashua. 

Floyd Co., Charles City Park — Suburbs Charles City, Cedar river. 

Howard Co., Lime Springs — Wooded, on Upper Iowa river. 

Mitchell Co., Spring Park — Wooded, near Osage. 

Winneshiek Co., Blft. Balsam Grove — Rare woods, near Bluffton. 

Winneshiek Co., Ice Cave — Near Decorah, famous scenic, scientific. 

Winneshiek Co., Header Farm — Woods near Hesper. 

Worth Co., Silver Lake — Ten miles west of Northwood. 

FIFTH DISTRICT. 

Cedar Co., Cedar Valley — Eight miles southwest Tipton on Cedar river. 
Cedar Co., Rochester— Seven miles south Tipton on Cedar river. 
Jones Co., Monticello — Ten miles east Monticello, pictured rocks. 
Jones Co., Oxford Junction — Picnic grounds on Wapsie river. 
Linn Co., Palisades — On Cedar river, ten miles southeast Cedar Rapids. 
Tama Co., Tama — Partly on Indian reservation near Tama. 

SIXTH DISTRICT. • 

Mahaska Co., The Bluffs — Thirteen miles southwest Oskaloosa on Des 
Moines river. 

Mahaska Co., Eveland Park — Wooded, southwest of Oskaloosa. 

Wapello Co., Chilton Farm — Near Eddyville, Indian mounds. 

Wapello Co., Eddyville — Woods near Eddyville. 

Wapello Co., Eldon — Suburbs of Eldon along river. 

Wapello Co., Monkey Mountain— Near Ottumwa, on Des Moines river, 
scenic, etc. 

SEVENTH DISTRICT. 

Dallas Co., Farlow Ford — On Coon river, north of Adel. 

Dallas Co., Perry — Woods near Perry. 

Dallas Co., Van Meter — One mile northeast of Van Meter, woods. 

Madison Co., Devil's Backbone — Scenic, scientific, six miles southwest 
Winterset. 

Marion Co., Red Rock — Historic, scientific, scenic, six miles northeast 
Knoxville. 

Warren Co., Carlisle — On North river, near Carlisle, wooded. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA XV 

Warren Co., Indianola — One mile west of Somerset, on Middle river. 
Warren Co., Middle River — Mouth Middle river, historic, wooded. 

EIGHTH DISTRICT. 

Lucas Co., Chariton — Five miles southeast Chariton on Chariton river. 

NINTH DISTRICT. 

Harrison Co., Missouri Valley — Woods, scientific, scenic. 
Harrison Co., Pisgah — Four miles west Pisgah, on Little Sioux river. 
Mills Co., Buckingham Lake — Southwest corner county. 
Pottawattamie Co., Council Bluffs — Northwest of city, bluffs and ra- 
vines. 

Pottawattamie Co., Manawa Lake — Near Council Bluffs. 

Shelby Co., Grove Township — Rare woods, northwest part of county. 

TENTH DISTRICT. 

Boone Co., Ledges— Scenic, scientific, on Des Moines river, south of 
Boone. , 

Calhoun Co., Twin Lakes — Six miles north Rockwell City. 

Emmet Co., Estherville — Near town, fine woods, on Des Moines river. 

Emmet Co., High Lake — Three miles east Wallingford. 

Emmet Co., Iowa Lake — Northeast corner of county. 

Emmet Co., Swan Lake — Ten miles southeast Estherville, walnut grove. 

Emmet Co., Tuttle Lake — On north line of county. 

Hamilton Co., Little Wall Lake — Three miles south of Jewell. 

Hancock Co., Crystal Lake — In northeast part of county. 

Hancock Co., Eagle Lake — Timbered banks, four miles east of Britt. 

Hancock Co., Pilot Knob — Four miles southeast of Forest City, scenic. 

Hancock Co., Twin Lakes — In southern part of county. 

Palo Alto Co., Medium Lake — Suburbs of Emmetsburg. 

Pocahontas Co., Sunk Grove Lake — Four miles northwest of Fonda. 

Winnebago Co., Duck Lake — In northern part of county. 

Winnebago Co., Rice Lake — On eastern edge of county. 

ELEVENTH DISTRICT. 

Buena Vista Co., Pickerel Lake — In northeastern corner of county. 
Buena Vista Co., Storm Lake — Land on shore near town of Storm Lake. 
Cherokee Co., Cherokee — In northwestern suburbs of Cherokee. 
Cherokee Co., Pilot Rock — Four miles south Cherokee, large boulder. 
Clay Co., Peterson — Scenic, wooded, on Little Sioux river. 
Dickinson Co., Okoboji Lake: — Adjacent shore. 
Dickinson Co., Spirit Lake — Adjacent shore. 

Lyon Co., Gitchie Manito — Scientific, granite, northwest corner of 
county. 

Monona Co., Blue Lake — Four miles west of Onawa. 

Osceola Co., Ocheyedan Mound — Near Ocheyedan. 

Plymouth Co., River Sioux Park — Near Westfield, on Big Sioux river. 

Sac Co., Lake View — Shore of Wall Lake. 

Woodbury Co., Stone Park — Suburbs of Sioux City. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

SUPPLEMENTAL MEMORANDA. 



Publication difficulties for which extraordinary conditions incident to 
the war are responsible, prevented the issuance of the first report of 
the Board of Conservation until so long a time after the materials were 
prepared, that it may now seem rather more historical than immediately 
practical in its character. 

The time prior to August, 1919, was mainly used in the preliminary 
study and investigation necessary in the beginning of all departures in 
public affairs. The time after that date is therefore fuller of things ac- 
complished. It is of these things begun or done the commission feels 
something should be said at least in brief, pending the more elaborate 
publication of matter relating thereto that may be further and indefinitely 
delayed on account of conditions incident to the war, and the foregoing 
brief summary has been prepared to meet this need. 

There are a number of areas not falling into the two classes here set 
forth, such as Fort Atkinson, a purely historical area; proposed McGregor 
National Park of too great an extent for a state project, and certain lake 
bed areas too expensive for acquisition from present funds. 

All these areas and others of like character are in contemplation by the 
board for acquisition through special appropriations or co-operation with 
other persons or the general government. 

DEDICATION OF PARK AREAS. 

The Board of Conservation contemplates a series of programs dedicat- 
ing the areas that have been or may be acquired, the coming summer. 
Addresses of eminent men in and out of Iowa at the respective areas may 
be expected to compose the complete account of historic, scientific, scenic 
and recreational interests they respectively possess as public state parks. 
There will be revealed the detailed account of the amount of lands re- 
ceived and monies paid to individuals, the amount of l^nds donated and 
all conditions going therewith and the amounts of money donated by 
local persons and organizations toward assisting the state in acquiring 
the lands. The series of dedications may be expected to produce and 
make generally known the rule and practice for the use of the areas. 
They will lay down the state policy for the further acquisition and ad- 
ministration of public state parks. 

The Board of Conservation has been constantly surprised and inspired 
by the apparent universal and helpful interest of the substantial citizens 
of each community in which it has made effort to carry forward the 
policy of establishing public state parks. Names of these men and women 
are in our files and will remain forever in our archives to their credit. 
They are omitted here merely on considerations of economy of time and 
money. 

EDGAR R. HARLAN, Secretary. 
Des Moines, Iowa, April 1, 1920. 



IOWA PARKS 

Introduction 

In its seventy years existence as a State, Iowa has swept from 
a scattered settlement to a thickly populated farm-land, dotted 
with towns and cities. It received from the United States Gov- 
ernment certain of the lands as a gratuity and the rest of the 
lands have been received by the individual citizens, at a cost of a 
dollar and a quarter per acre. The Indians had parted with them 
at a return to themselves of about ten cents per acre. 

The state was settled up, its roads laid out, its cities planned 
upon ox-cart conveniences and policies. The roads, therefore, 
were treated as subordinate to the claims and farms, and were 
only left where they were received from the Indian upon the natural 
ground-levels, until settlement reached them from the eastward, 
then they were torn from their ancient courses and bent around the 
corners of "forties" and "quarters," regardless of hills that would 
never grow less and water-ways that would never be filled and 
grades that would never be fixed. The celerity of passage w^as sub- 
ordinated to that of production. 

At such a time the reasonable day's journey for a man in a con- 
veyance of any sort was twenty miles. His journeyings were limited 
to necessity and to business. Iowa territory in 1840 embraced our 
present state and most of Minnesota and North and South Dakota, 
and contained 24,355 men, and 18,757 women. 

In 1915, the numbers had increased to 1,212,932 men and 1,145,134 
women. Roads and vehicles now easily admit of journeying a hun- 
dred miles a day. Culture and habit as well as business and health 
urge the individual frequently to leave off routine and engage in 
pastime and out-door games. The impulse to respond increases and 
w^ill probably continue increasing so long as men shall work and play. 

But in 1919 there were not ten acres of public woods, water- 
landings or open prairies, in the state, unless in cities. Not a game 
could be played, a shot fired, a race run, a fly cast or a lunch spread, 
unless in cities or on dusty highways unless the enjoyment was a 
trespass or was through the consent of private owners. In 1919 the 
acre which the Indian sold for ten cents and a pioneer bought for 
$1.25, and the tax-sale purchaser secured for delinquent taxes has. 



2 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

become the $300.00 range of registered cattle, sheep or hogs and in 
turn the field of wheat, oats, corn or hay of such value that the an- 
cient paths of men now cost money. In their righteous ire farmers 
have destroyed groves of hickory, sold their walnut trees and cleared 
plum thickets to rid themselves of trespassers. Road sides, water- 
ways, fields, and groves today bear literally thousands of "No Tres- 
passing" signs, and still the principle born in men and women to run 
and leap in youth, to stroll and race in full growth and to hunt and 
fish as life is" passing, has never changed. In their refinements, these 
tendencies become the spur to every soul who 

"Finds tongues in the trees, 

Books in the running brooks, 
• Sermons in stones 

And good in everything. 
I would not change it." 

And so the lands that now possess agricultural value mingled with 
historical, scientific, scenic or recreational character are under con- 
sideration for re-acquisition by the state, and return, where possible, 
to their pristine condition and public use. The Creator foresaw and 
provided that the lands suited to agricultural and industrial purposes 
were generally of the highest pecuniary value and that those for use 
by the scholar, artist, hunter and fisherman are as nearly worthless 
as He could allot to Iowa. So the Commission, in harmony with 
what it feels is an almost divine opportunity and with what it knows 
to be the certain and reasonable conflict of natural human interests 
in the uses of lands, has entered upon the effort without interference 
with production of Iowa lands, to increase their scope and restore 
.their uses for science, art and recreation. 

Results so far attained are to be found in the minutes, papers and 
documents published herewith as the First Report of the Iowa Board 
of Conservation. 

EDGAR R. HARLAN, 

Secretary. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 3 

REPORT OF THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION 

Hon. W. L. Harding-, Governor, and }vlcnibers of the Executive 
Council : 

Gentlemen :— In compliance with your request for a report of 
the investigation and researches of the Board of Conservation 
of the State of Iowa, we have the honor to submit the following 
report of our findings for your consideration. 

The Board met pursuant to your notice and call, at Des Moines, 
Iowa, on December 27, 1918. The organization was perfected by 
electing Dr. L. H. Pammel, of the Iowa State College of Agricul- 
ture and Mechanic Arts, President, and Edgar R. Harlan, Cura- 
tor of the Historical Department of Iowa, Secretary. The Board 
immediately proceeded to make the investig'ation contemplated 
in Section 9, Chapter 236, Laws of the Thirty-seventh General 
Assembly. It would seem impossible that an investigation 
within the time intervening between December 27, 1918, and the 
present date, would be extensive or comprehensive enough to 
be of any great value to the executive council. We, therefore, 
do not wish to convey the impression that the report which is 
submitted by the board covers only the information secured 
from the personal visits and researches made during that period. 
On the contrary, it represents the cotjipilation of all the informa- 
tion which the board was able to secure from a diligent search 
and study of the many papers and reports previously made by 
students of natural history, archaeology, geology and forest re- 
serves, as well as the information obtained in a few of the many 
places of scenic, historical, scientific and recreational interest in 
which our state abounds. 

We ha\e had access to the reports of such students of conser- 
vation and natural history as Dr. T. 11. Macbride and the hosts 
he has inspired, as well as contributions from many other good 
people of our state, who have rendered us valuable assistance in 
our work, to all of whom we have gi\'en credit for their efforts 
in making our report as complete as possible in the limited space 
of time elapsed since the organization of the board. 

Our examination of the many jiroposed park sites and reserves 
has impressed us with the belief that the time has arrived for 
the great State of Iowa to take a decisive stand to protect and 
conserve for future generations some of the many beauty spots 



4 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

of the state, as well as preserve in its original form a portion, at 
least, of what is left that indicates the original natural condition 
of our prairies, forests and waters with their wealth of varied 
plant life as well as wild animal and bird life native to them, 
before our sometimes over-selfish civilization exterminates and 
drives them from their homes. 

There are many reasons why no further delay should be made 
in securing a number of the many desirable sites for state 
memorial parks. Each day, the hand of so-called civilization is 
making further inroads into our remaining forests. The beauty 
of our glens and caves is being destroyed by cutting away the 
shade trees, diverting the streams from our springs, in fact, com- 
mercial vandalism and private ownership are making an indelible 
mark on many of the beauty spots which should he sacred to the 
lover of nature, to our children and future generations that they 
may see a little of Iowa, at least, in its primitive state. 

We say primitive state because we believe that if some pro- 
posed sites are acquired, and control of them assumed by the 
State, that nature will reassert herself and recreate or reproduce 
some of the stately forests that formerly fringed our river banks 
and lake shores and dotted over our hills. Twenty-five years • 
growth added to the present growth of the certain remaining 
forests of Iowa, with the watchful care of the State, will reforest 
such tracts as are selected into practically the same condition 
that existed fifty years ago. With return of the forests and their 
conversion into, and dedication as, sanctuaries for bird, animal 
and plant life there will return much of the early wild life that 
has gradually disappeared from the wooded hills and vales of 
Iowa. 

Another particular reason why we believe that immediate ac- 
tion should be taken is the ever-increasing value of lands in Iowa. 
Each year's delay will make the acquisition more expensive to 
the State. It has been suggested that we secure, at this time, as 
memorial parks for the State of Iowa; some of those beauty spots, 
and dedicate them to the memory of our boys who have fallen 
in France and in the other fields, in defense of Democracy and 
Right. Some suggest that other areas should be dedicated 
to the leaders and heroes of high standards in Iowa attainment 
in the arts, sciences and sportsmanship. Our allies in France 
have already dedicated' to the memory of the American Marines, 
a part of the battle field of Belleu Wood as a mark of their love 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 5 

and as a tribute to the l^ravery of the Marines. The general 
government has named certain areas and objects for great charac- 
ters of national and international renown. Why should we hesi- 
tate to assign to our own a fitting memorial ? 

Let us call attention also to the recreational value of such 
parks as well as the value to the student and scientist. What 
would be more commendable than to have located in different 
parts of the State recreational parks so distributed that prac- 
tically all sections of the State could be served without traveling 
to exceed fifty miles except in extreme cases where the enthusiast 
requires some special type of natural object or advantage? Our 
wooded river banks and lake shores are ideal for recreational 
jiarks as well as valuable for study of natural history, forest re- 
serve, geology and propagation of wild life, and furnishing splen- 
did fields for the students of plant life also. Indeed they are now, 
although owned, fenced, taxed and properly used for grazing and 
agricultural purposes. Why should a farmer be forever obliged 
to follow the trespassing stranger every few days to repair fences, 
close gates and suffer damage, often innocently done, but still 
committed? Why not acquire and pay for his lands, open them 
t(5 the full use of the public forever and do justice to all con- 
cerned? 

Summing up our report, we do not hesitate to say that Iowa 
has within its borders many of the rarest places of historical 
and scientific interest that might be conserved to the general good 
of its people, that the opportunity of combining comfort and rec- 
reation, with the knowledge to be obtained from a study of plant 
life, natural beauty and resources still exists and that we should 
avail ourselves of the opportunity of acquiring them for all of 
the people of our state for all time. 

It apparently was the intention of the Legislators of Iowa to 
have this park development financed by using funds collected in 
the Fish and Game Department. No doubt, a great deal can be 
accomplished by this plan. Nevertheless, it is bound to be a very 
slow process if the development is left to that fund alone. There 
is danger that the drawing of any amount from that source will 
curtail improvements that should be made on the banks or shores 
of our rivers and lakes and prevent the sufficient stocking of the 
waters of the State with fish. 

We, therefore, do recommend that an annual levy of two-tenths 
of a mill be made upon all the property of the State for the pur- 



6 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

pose of acquiring, improving and maintaining Memorial State 
Parks in the State of Iowa, and that legislation be enacted pro- 
viding ways and means for the improvement, regulation, con- 
trol, and proper policing of such parks under the jurisdiction of 
a State Board of Conservaton and that this be done forthwith. 

We would also suggest that the report submitted herewith be 
|>ul)lished in 1)ook form with suitable illustrations, that a suffi- 
cient number of copies be printed to furnish one copy at least 
to each Public and School Library in the State of Iowa for refer- 
ence and educational purposes, that a guide or directory be 
made up therefrom with such maps, plats, illustrations and road 
direction as would be suited to the use of the public in finding 
and visiting all areas and thereby easily and accurately become 
informed upon every essential of the value, area, extent, cost, in- 
terest for beauty, history, science and recreation. 

We are prompted to make this suggestion from the fact that 
the report contains data of unusual interest bearing upon the early 
history of Iowa, dating from the period when this territory was 
looked upon more as a trappers' field than a great industrial and 
agricultural state ; a very complete summary as well as chrono- 
logical history of the early development of this territory and 
state, pointing out to youth and recent comers the many history 
making epochs, localities and sites whereupon vital questions 
Avere decided that bore upon the early occupation and develop- 
ment of this region. The historical nature of this report will be 
found equal to and perhaps excelled by its interest upon the sub- 
jects of plant life, forestry, archaeology, geology, physiography 
and allied subjects. 

Respectfully submitted for your consideration, 

L. H. PAMMEL, Chairman, 

JOSEPH KELSO, JR.. 

JOHN F. FORD, 

EDGAR R. HARLAN, Secretary. 
Board of Conservation. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

ESTABLISHMENT OF IOWA PARKS 

The law Providing for the same and Proceeding's of the Board 
of Conservation. 
Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh General Assembly and 

Amendments thereto. 

An Act to authorize the establishment of public parks by the 
State Fish and Game Warden (the Thirty-eighth General As- 
sembly amended this Act by substituting for "the State Fish 
and Game Warden/' "the State Board of Conservation"), by and 
with the consent of the State Executive Council, and to provide 
for the improvement of the same, and to create a board of con- 
servation for the preservation of places of historic, natural or rec- 
reational interest authorizing donations in aid, of such purposes 
and to make an appropriation therefor, providing for aid by 
municipal corporations and authorizing boards of supervisors 
to extend county road systems in furtherance of the provisions 
of this act. 
Be It Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: 

Section 1. The State Board of Conservation by and with the 
v/ritten consent of the Executive Council, is hereby authorized 
to establish public parks in any county of the State, upon the 
shores of lakes, streams, or other waters of the State, or at any 
other places which have by reason of their location become his- 
toric or which are of scientific interest, or by reason of their 
natural scenic beauty or location become adapted therefor, and 
said Board of Conservation, under the supervision of said Execu- 
tive Council, is hereby authorized to improve and beautify such 
parks. When so established they shall be made accessible from 
the public highways, and in order to establish such parks said 
Executive Council shall have the power to purchase or condemn 
lands for said purposes and to purchase and condemn lands for 
5aid highway purpose. 

Sec. 2. The State Board of Conser^■ation shall, under the di- 
rection of the Executive Council, have the power to erect dams 
across streams and across outlets of lakes for the purpose of 
raising the water level therein, and any damages occasioned to 
riparian owners by reason of the raising of such water level shall 
be paid for out of the fund hereinafter provided for. 



8 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Sec. 3. The title to all lands purchased or donated for park 
or highway purposes under the provisions of this Act shall be 
taken in the name of the State, and if thereafter it shall be deemed 
advisable to sell any portion of the land so purchased, the pro- 
ceeds of such sale shall be placed to the credit of the said Fish 
and Game Protection Fund (the Thirty-eighth General As- 
sembly amended this act by substituting for the "Fish and Game 
Protection Fund," "Public State Parks Fund,") to be used for 
such park purposes, except that on the request of any of the 
donors of the fund with which such land was purchased, the 
amount contributed by the donor making such request shall be 
refunded to such donor, without interest, provided that applica- 
tion for such refund must be made within six months from the 
date of the sale of such lands, and provided also, that no such 
lands shall be sold except in compliance with legislative enact- 
ment designating specifically the lands to be sold. 

Sec. 4. The Executive Council is empowered and authorized 
on behalf of the State to receive donations of land for either park 
or highway purposes in conformity with the provisions of this 
Act, and lands so donated shall not be sold, and if abandoned 
by legislative enactment, shall revert to the original owner. 

Sec. 5. The State Treasurer shall have authority to receive 
and accept, on behalf of the State, donations for the purpose of 
aiding in the carrying out of the provisions of this Act, and the 
donor may specify the place where and the purpose or purposes 
for which said donation is to be used or expended, and when 
such specification is made to the Executive Council by the donor 
the donated funds shall be expended for no other purpose. 

Sec. 6. The State Board of Conservation shall permit the im- 
provement of such parks, when established, or the improvement 
of bodies of water, upon the border of which such parks may be 
established, by the expenditure of private or other funds, such 
improvement to be done, however, under the direction of the 
State Board of Conservation, by and with the consent of the 
Executive Council. The Executive Council may call upon any 
agencies of the state for assistance and information. When such 
state agencies' traveling expenses are not otherwise provided 
for, they shall be paid from the Public State Parks fund, as other 
traveling expenses are paid. 

Sec. 7. Municipalities, or individuals, or corporations or- 
ganized for that purpose only, acting separately or in conjunc- 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 9 

tion with each other, may establish like parks outside the limits 
of cities or towns, and when established without the support of 
the Public State Parks fund, the municipalities, corporations or 
persons establishing the same, as the case may be, shall have con- 
trol thereof independently of the Executive Council. Provided, 
however, that none of the said municipalities, individuals or cor- 
porations, acting- under the provisions of this section shall 
establish, maintain or operate any such parks as herein contem- 
plated for pecuniary profit. 

Sec. 8. The board of supervisors of any county in which there 
is a body of water which may be improved under the provisions 
of this Act is hereby authorized, at their discretion, to add to the 
county road system from the township roads, such roads as will 
make said body of water more accessible, or unite existing- 
county roads to make a county road around a meandered lake. 

Sec. 9. The said Executive Council shall designate three per- 
sons, who, with the Curator of the Historical Department, shall 
constitute a Board of Conservation, who shall serve without 
pay. Such Board of Conservation shall investigate places in 
Iowa, valuable as objects of natural history, forest reserves, as 
archaeology and geology, and investigate the means of promoting 
forestry and maintaining and preserving animal and bird life in 
this State and furnish such information to the Executive Council 
for the conservation of the natural resources* of the State, from 
time to time, and said recommendations shall be printed in such 
numbers as the Council shall authorize, and shall be furnished 
each member of the succeeding General Assembly. 

Sec. 10. The Board of Conservation and the Executive Coun- 
cil, acting jointly, shall from time to time make such regulations 
as they deem necessary or advisable for the management, control 
or policing of said lands, arid shall cause said regulations to be 
printed on card-board, wood or metal signs and posted in said 
parks. The destruction or mutilation of said signs bearing said 
■regulations shall be deemed a misdemeanor. Said regulation, 
however, shall in no wise interfere with the local police powers. 

Sec. 11. (The Thirty-eighth General Assembly amended this 
section by substituting the following:) For the purpose of carry- 
ing into eflfect the provisions of this Act, there shall be appropri- 
ated out of the Fish and Game Protection fund any portion there- 
of which is in the judgment of the Executive Council, unnecessary 



10 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

for the support and maintenance of the Fish and Game Depart- 
ment and in addition thereto there shall be appropriated out of 
any moneys in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
the sum of $100,000.00. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 11 

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD. 

Des Moines, Iowa, December 27, 1918. 

The Executixe Council met in special session for the purpose 
of conferring- with the Board of Conservation with reference to 
the future development and conservation of the natural resources 
of the state and the adoption of a general policy with reference 
to the purchase and improvement of park sites and natural beauty 
spots as well as the preservation of points of geological and 
archaeological interest as contemplated by Chapter 236, Acts of 
the Thirty-seventh General Assembly. The entire membership 
of the Board of Conservation was present, including E. R. Har- 
lan, Curator of the Historical Department, Professor L. H. Pam- 
mel, of Ames, Hon. John F. Ford, of Fort Dodge, and the Hon. 
Joseph Kelso, of Bellevue. There was also present at the con- 
ference, Thomas MacDonald, Chief Highway Engineer, L. E. 
Foglesong, Associate Landscape Architect of the Capitol Grounds 
Extension, and O. W. Crowley, Capitol Grounds Extension 
Engineer, and Senator B. W. Newberry, of Strawberry Point. 

The matter of a general policy for the state to pursue in the 
preservation of park sites and points of natural beauty within 
the state was discussed at some length. L. H. Pammel and 
E. R. Harlan addressed the conference upon the subject with an 
outline of plans which should be pursued in such work. 

The matter of purchase of the "Devil's Back Bone" property 
in Delaware County as an initial step in the direction of state 
ownership of parks was taken up for consideration. L. H. Pam- 
mel, E. R. Harlan, L. E. Foglesong, Senator Newberry and 
Treasurer E. H. Hoyt discussed the various angles of the desira- 
bility of this property for preservation as a state park, recom- 
mending that it be purchased. At noon the conference adjourned 
for the purpose of permitting the Board of Conservation to meet 
as a Board and organize and adopt resolutions for ^submission to 
the Council. 



Des Moines, Iowa, December 27, 1918. 

The Board of Conservation assembled, in the office of the 
Treasurer of State all the members. Dr. L. H. Pammel. Curator 
E. R. Harlan, Hon. Joseph Kelso, Jr., and Hon. John F. Ford 
being present. 



12 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The meeting was called to order by Curator Harlan. By 
motion Dr. Pammel was elected chairman of the Board. By 
motion Curator Harlan was elected secretary. 

The following resolution, presented by E. R. Harlan, was 
adopted unanimously and ordered presented to the State Execu- 
tive Council, representing the sentiment of the Board of Con- 
servation as to the general policy which that body regarded as 
essential for the proper development of the state's resources and 
particularly with reference to the purchase of the "'Devil's Back 
Bone" property in Delaware county. 

Whereas, the matter of the report of the State Game Warden, E. C. 
Hinshaw, recommending for acquisition by the State of Iowa the area 
in Delaware county, generally known as the "Devil's Back Bone," being 
before the Board of Conservation and being made a part of the minutes 
of this meeting, and: 

Whereas, the area having been thoroughly examined by members of 
the Board, together with other persons authorized and directed by the 
Executive Council so to do, it is 

Resolved that the Board of Conservation recommend to the Executive 
Council, in compliance with the report and the recommendation of the 
Game Warden, the purchase of not less than twelve hundred (1,200) 
acres, or as much more as may to the Council seem advisable to acquire, 
for a state park, in the region of what is known as the "Devil's Back 
Bone," Delaware county, Iowa, the same to embrace both banks of the 
Maquoketa river at Forest Mills and up stream to what is known as 
Trout Brook and both banks of the latter stream up to and including 
Richmond Spring, together with such additional grounds as may to the 
Excutive Council seem adequate to the purpose of the statute. 

A more detailed and specific report of the scientific, scenic and historic 
qualities of said area is to be filed later and made a part of this report. 

Resolved that in consideration of the service and sacrifice by men and 
women of this state to the purpose and achievement of our common 
country in the World War, and of Iowa valor in the Civil War and 
other wars, that the policy hereby initiated in the public affairs of Iowa 
shall be the mark of our obligation and is the solemn tribute of this 
day and hour; therefore, we recommend that all areas in pursuance of 
Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh General Assembly, should be 
known and denominated as Iowa Memorial Parks. 

The Executive Council convened at 2:00 p. m. with all mem- 
bers present. 

The report of the Board of Conservation as to officers elected 
and the adoption of the foregoing resoltition was presented to the 
Council by E. R. Harlan, Secretary of the Board of Conserva- 
tion. After some discussion, the following resolution was offered 
bv Governor Harding: 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 13 

Whereas, the State Game Warden, E. C. Hinshaw, has recommended 
the purchase by the State Executive Council of Iowa of an area in 
Delaware county known as the "Devil's Back Bone," and adjacent 
property necesssary for encompassing the natural boundary lines of 
said "Devil's Back Bone" and sufficient for the establishment of a re- 
creation spot — said area to include not less than twelve hundred 
(1,200) acres of ground subject to the judgment of the Executive Council, 
and 

Whereas, the State Board of Conservation has adopted a resolution as 
set out in the foregoing record recommending such purchase and the 
establishment of a general policy by the state for purchasing and acquir- 
ing areas and tracts of lands suitable for park purposes as provided under 
Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh General Assembly, to be known 
as Iowa Memorial Parks, thei'efore. 

Be it resolved, by the Executive Council of the state of Iowa that the 
sum of sixty thousand ($60,000.00) dollars in the state treasury, provided 
for and set aside for the purchase of parks under Chapter 236, Acts of 
the Thirty-seventh General Assembly, being appropriated for the pur- 
chase of the property known as the "Devil's Back Bone" in Delaware 
county, of not less than twelve hundred (1,200) acres and that said 
sum be set aside in a separate fund to be drawn against for the purchase 
of such property. 

Be it further resolved that the Council concur in the recommendations 
of the State Board of Conservation for the definite state policy for the 
establishment of a series of parks to be known as the Iowa Memorial 
Parks in consideration of and in commemoration of the service and 
sacrifice by men and women of the state to the purpose and achieve- 
ment of our common country in the World War, and of Iowa valor in 
the Civil and other wars. 

Be it further resolved that Auditor Shaw and Treasurer Hoyt be ap- 
pointed by the State Executive Council as representatives of the Council 
and delegated with authority to act in the purchase of the property 
known as the "Devil's Back Bone" in Delaware county for State Park 
purposes as recommended by E. C. Hinshaw, State Fish and Game 
Warden and the State Board of Conservation, and. 

Be it further resolved that the said State Auditor, F. S. Shaw, and 
State Treasurer, E. H. Hoyt, have set apart for the purpose of making 
the purchase contemplated under this resolution as delegates of the 
Executive Council for binding said contracts as fast as entered into the 
sum of five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars from the funds available for said 
purpose as provided under Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh 
General Assembly, and 

Be it further resolved that the said Auditor Shaw and Treasurer Hoyt 
be authorized to enter into contracts with the owners of said land and 
make a small payment of not to exceed two ($2.00) dollars per acre to bind 
the contract and that they be authorized to sign contract for and on behalf 
of the Executive Council for the State of Iowa in said matter— the title 
to said land to be taken in the name of the State of Iowa, and, 

Be it further resolved that no part of such land shall be contracted 
for by the said Auditor Shaw and Treasurer Hoyt for which the agreed 



14 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

price is to exceed sixty ($60.00) dollars per acre, except that when the 
said Auditor Shaw and Treasurer Hoyt are unable to agree upon a price 
within the amount fixed as a maximum price, the Governor is authorized 
to appoint a committee of tliree members, one of whom shall reside in 
Manchester, one in Strawberry Point, and one in Lament, and it shall be 
the duty of the purchasing committee to get the approval in writing of 
all members of the Valuation Committee in every purchase of real estate 
in excess of said fixed maximum. All members of the Council voted 
aye, and the resolution was declared adopted. 

Governor Harding announced the following standing com- 
mittee, as a valuation Committee, in pursuance of the foregoing 
resolution: Hon. George W. Dunham. Manchester; Hon. B. W. 
Newberrv, Strawberrv Point ; W. A. Al^bott. of Lamont. 



Council Bluffs, Iowa, January 1. 1919. 

The Board of Conservation convened at the Grand hotel. Those 
present, Messrs. Pammel, Ford, Kelso and Harlan. 

The matter of the inspection of the Lower Des Moines area 
being before the Board, the separate reports of Dr. Pammel and 
Mr. Harlan were read and that of Mr. Kelso orally made, all 
were taken under consideration. 

It was moved by Mr. Ford that the area designated as The- 
Lower Des Moines area, namely from Belfast to Eldon, be recom- 
mended for acquisition, the recommendation to be accompanied 
with maps and descriptive details showing accurately the essen- 
tials necessary, for the Executive Cotmcil to have before it in 
order to exactly describe the lands proposed to be acquired and 
that the character of the same for historic, scenic and scientific 
value to the present and future public. Motion carried. 

Mr. Harlan submitted the following resolutions: 

Whereas, this Board seeks the ends aimed at by the Fish and Game 
Department, by the Executive Council, and all concerned in the execution 
of Chapter 236, Acts of the Thirty-seventh General Assembly, and 

Whereas, The authority and responsibility of the Board remains some- 
what vague with respect to the best ways and means for assisting in 
the execution of said statute, and 

Whereas, by statute it is within the power of the state to arrive at the 
fair and accurate values of all lands it acquires for public purposes 
through condemnation proceedings, wherein a jury of appraisement 
shall be constituted so that no more than one member shall hail from a 
county wherein lands to be condemned shall be situated, 

Resolved, that it is the sense of this Board that in the matter of 
prices to be agreed to for lands to be acquired, the Executive Council 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 15 

arrive at the same through the convocation of a board in every Instance, 
the members of said board to have that ability, integrity and place of 
residence fitting for service upon a condemnation jury, and 

Resolved, that wherever owners and state do not agree upon the same 
or a less consideration fixed by said Board, the state shall proceed as 
a matter of course to the acquisition by condemnation. 

Resolved, that recommendation to the Executive Council be formulated 
by members Ford and Kelso, of such character as shall, when made public, 
make clear to all concerned both that this Board has nothing to do with 
negotiations for acquiring and the persons and conditions governing 
acquisition. 

The resolutions were adopted. 

Mr. Harlan moved that a circular letter be prepared suital)le 
to publish and to mail, setting out in brief the objects, the terms 
and the considerations for the acquiring of lands under this act, 
said circular to contain, among other things, the following : 

"It is respectfully suggested that the state of Iowa wishes to 
acquire such lands as can be acquired by gift or from proceeds 
available from the hunting license fees, paid in, where said lands 
would be suited to be held by the state for public gathering places 
such as reunions, celebrations and picnics or to commemorate 
any worthy person or historic event ; of to afford assistance in the 
study in the field and from natural phenomena to students of the 
natural history of our state; or for camping, hunting, fishing, 
bathing and other recreational pastimes ; or for the purpose of 
the preservation or propagation of species of wild, native animals 
and plants otherwise rare or in danger of extermination. 

"It is the province of this Board to accept suggestions of such 
areas and to search for and report the same for acquisition by the 
Executive Council, on behalf of the state, but the Board, having 
no power to contract, is not interested in securing options or 
other tentative or final money terms. This is wholly in the hands 
of the Executive Council, who will make all negotiations. 

"This Board reports as to why an area ought to be acquired and 
you can therefore greatly aid by furnishing responses to the fol- 
lowing inquiries : 

"What are the historical facts connected with the area? Where 
have the facts been published? 

"What are the scientific facts connected with the area? Who 
has written of these and where were his ideas published? 

"What are the interesting points for sightseeing and what 
things are to be seen? 



16 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

"Mention waters, trees, rocks, mounds, houses and everything 
you consider interesting." 

The motion, being put, it was unanimously carried. 

Dr. Pammel moved that a list of places now thought suitable 
to be reported to the Executive Council for reservation be pre- 
pared, based upon the list of Dr. Shimek, but elaborated as to the 
places cited and augmented by information possessed at present 
or that may be accumulated by the membership by our next 
meeting. 

Mr. Kelso seconded the motion, with the proviso, that such list 
be prepared by Messrs. Pammel and Harlan. 

As amended the motion was put and carried, unanimously. 

By Harlan : I wish to submit, with the view of asking the 
approval of the Executive Council, an outline of the scope it ap- 
pears to me ^ve are expected to take. This is marked "C" and 
attached to these minutes entitled "Scheme for Investigation and 
Report." 

By Ford: I think the scheme ought to be considered by this 
Board as outlining its field, and be submitted to the Executive 
Council for its consideration. If by the Council approved, then 
the Secretary should be directed to prepare in a form for publica- 
tion, such matter as fairly falls within the scope of the scheme. 

By Mr. Kelso : I move that it is the sense of the Board that 
Messrs. Harlan and Pammel prepare such matter as is of probable 
interest and value, as suggested by Mr. Ford. 

By Ford : I second the motion. 

The motion, being put, was unanimously carried. 

By Mr. Harlan : There are a great number of citizens who own 
desirable park sites, yet who have no descendants. I believe 
there are those who would willingly bequeath to Iowa certain 
lands or other valuable property if it were administered and made 
a credit memorially to the object chosen by the donor. Therefore, 

I move that the Executive Council be requested to pledge the 
state to accept and to carry out any testimonial arrangement that 
will both benefit the public and be a credit to the donor, provided 
the state shall not be obligated to pay out money, except such as is 
in the bequest, and provided the state shall reserve the absolute 
authority to design every structural object and approve every 
inscriptive text proposed to be used in carrying out the bequest 
and provided, further, that such bequest shall be always, in 
records and maps issued by the state relating to this subject, there 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 17 

shall be a suitable and sufficient designation of the area or object 
bequeathed, so that the fact of the bequest shall never become 
lost or confused in the records and in the intelligent interest of the 
public. . 

Motion was adopted. 



Des Moines, Iowa, February 12, 1919. 

The State Board of Conservation met at the office of the 
Curator of the State Historical Department, members present, 
Messrs. Kelso, Ford and Pammel. 

Motion passed accepting the Ford report. 

Motion passed accepting the letter of transmittal by Mr. Ford. 

Motion passed that the board recommend the conservation of 
areas in Southeastern Iowa and that the immediate conserva- 
tion of areas in Southwestern Iowa follow : 

The following- resolutions were adopted : 

Resolved that the Board of Conservation express their appreciation 
of the courtesy and assistance rendered to them by tlie staff of the 
Historical Department, two members of the staff of the State Agricultural 
College and to Dr. Lees, State Geologist, and 

Resolved that the same be made a part of the minutes of this meeting 
and that a letter to the Executive Council be written to contain the same 
and also to voice the findings of the Board regarding the favorable 
opinions expressed by the general public. 

Adjourned. 



Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 22, 1919. 

A meeting of the Conservation Board and the Fish and Game 
Warden with the Executiye Council was held in the office of 
Treasurer of State. 

The meeting was called to order by Treasurer E. H. Hoyt ; 
present of the Executive Council, E. H. Hoyt and F. S. Shaw ; 
Fish and Game Warden, Hinshaw; of the Conservation Board, 
J. F. Ford, Joseph Kelso Jr. and L. FI. Pammel, Mr, Harlan being 
absent. State Treasurer Hoyt invited W. C. Ratcliff and W. H. 
Walrath, respectively of the House and Senate Committees on 
Conservation, to meet with the Conservation Board and the 
l^xecutive Council. 

The committee went over the doubtful clauses in the proposed 
bill, and the doubtful passages were whipped into shape. It was 



18 PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

then left to Mr. Hoyt to get the bill in shape. Mr. Hoyt intro- 
duced Mr. Ratclifif and Mr. Walrath. Mr. Hoyt then went over 
the present law and told of the appointment of the Conservation 
Board, after which L. H. Pammel told of the work of Messrs. 
Harlan, Kelso and Ford in getting up the report. The discussion 
was participated in by Messrs. Ford, Kelso, Hinshaw, Hoyt and 
Shaw. The president then read the title of the bill and the 
head lines and portions pertaining to Memorial State Parks, 
Highway Parks and Lake Parks. It w^as the consensus of opinion 
acting on the suggestion of Mr. Hoyt, that we meet with the 
Conservation Committee of the Senate and House at a dinner 
in the Grant Club rooms. 

It was also unanimously agreed that the bill be introduced as 
a committee bill in the House and Senate. Adjourned. 



Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 26, 1919. 

A meeting of the Conservation Board was called in Cedar 
Rapids on April 26, 1919, for the purpose of inspecting the area 
known as Palisades in Linn County, an urgent invitation having 
been extended by Mr. Fred Lazell, of Cedar Rapids, the Commer- 
cial Clubs of both Cedar Rapids and Mt. Vernon, the Conserva- 
tion Circles of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids and some meml:»ers 
of the faculty of the State University and Cornell College. 

The Board met at 8:15 p. m. in the parlors of the Montrose 
Hotel. There were present Joseph Kelso, Jr., J. F. Ford. Dr. L. 
H. Pammel, Mr. Harlan being absent. 

In the afternoon an inspection was made of West Palisade, 
some eighteen miles from Cedar Rapids. The Board was taken 
to this region by Fred Lazell, Attorneys Wick and Bolton of 
Cedar Rapids and Professors Kelley and Keyes of Mt. Vernon. 
There were also present the executive board of Iowa Conserva- 
tion Association consisting of G. B. McDonald, Euclid Saunders, 
Mr. Bennett, Dr. Kay, Mrs. C. H. McNider and Mrs. Fred Lazell. 

At the meeting on the evening of April 26th the following 
action was taken : 

It was decided that we take no action concerning the Palisades 
at this time, though we think it a very desirable park site and 
think it should be acquired by the State. 

That Mr. Harlan. Secretary of the Board, be asked to draft 
rules, giving methods of procedure to acquire park sites, that 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 19 

tliis be prepared and presented to the Exccuti\e Council at an 
early date. That we have a joint meeting with the Executive 
Council and go over the matter of acquiring State Parks under 
the amended law. 

A communication from Mrs. Kappel, of Nashua, in regard to 
a state park site was placed on file. 

Communications from Senator Holdocgel in regard to Twin 
Lakes and Bone Yard Hollow in Webster County and petitions 
from citizens of Waukon and Postville in regard to state park 
.^ites near Waterville and the Yellow River region were placed 
(>n file for consideration at an early date. 

A request was received from ^Irs. C. H. McNider, of Mason 
City, asking that we take up as soon as possible the matter of 
Pike's Peak area and the ofifer from Mrs. Munn to the United 
States government. ' Mrs. McNider asked the State Conservation 
Board to try to secure this gift for the state so that the area might 
he secured immediately for state park purposes. 

With reference to the natural bridge in Jackson County, Joseph 
Kelso stated that the citizens of Jackson County would materially 
assist in securing this area. 

The Board agreed that the following areas should be visited 
at an early date : 

North Central Iowa and adjacent regions. Pilot Mound area. 
Twin Lake. Wall Lake, and Storm Lake, the largest boulder in 
the United States in Floyd County. Bone Yard Hollow in W^eb- 
ster County, Ledges in Boone County, Devil's Backbone in Madi- 
son County, Steamboat Rock, and Wild Cat Den in Llardin 
County; South Eastern Iowa, Red Rock. Marion County. Keo- 
sauqua. Ottumwa and adjacent regions. \\'ild Cat Den and 
CMessa Lake. Muscatine County; North Eastern Iowa. Natural 
Bridge in Jackson County, an area near Oxford Junction, Jones 
County, Dubuque, Bixby's Park, and AIcGregor, AVaterville and 
Yellow River, Allamakee County, Ice Caves, Winneshiek County, 
Mills. Fremont and Montgomery Counties and adjacent regions 
in South U'o-t Iowa. 

The communities where ])arks are desired are asked to furnish 
the Board with complete data of price of land, to furnish topo- 
graphic maps, and give the Board information as to gifts in the 
wav of land. etc. 



20 ^ PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Keosaiiqua, Iowa. July 12, 1919. 

Present Alessrs. Pamniel, Harlan and Ford. The members 
having visited the region of Lee and Van Buren counties and 
being in company with B. F. Ketcham, Phil K. Ware and others 
of Farmington, inspected an area locally called "Big Duck Pond," 
the same being a hilly, wooded tract near the middle of which is 
a spring-fed shallow lake, approximately forty acres in extent, 
now more than two-thirds covered by a gorgeous field of lotus. 
The woods embrace a vast variety of plant life, for instance, of 
the oak species a hasty examination disclosed everything native 
to Iowa except the pin oak, and it is believed that even this exists. 

The above named citizens and their associates proposed to the 
Board of Conservation that if within a reasonably near future the 
state would take over and administer the same, by at least re- 
pairing the dam and restoring the lake level to its former height, 
and by making the margins of the lake accessible by roads, the 
said citizens would acquire title and possession of not less than 
100 acres, embracing the wood and lake areas, and present the 
same cost free to the state of Iowa. 

They further suggest the average cost per acre would be about 
$75.00. 

The Board observes the dam referred to is a dirt dam approxi- 
mately four feet across the top; not to exceed six feet in height; 
erected at some prior lime but cut through by a former stream 
outlet. It observes that road-ways lead upon and into the 
lands by way of gates both from the north and south approaches. 
It observes that the lake itself is within 1000 yards of the Des 
Moines river, on the margin of which is a public highway gen- 
erally traveled from the town of Athens in Missouri to Farm- 
ington, Iowa, and extending respectively to beyond these two 
points. 

The Board considers that if the citizens will obtain the 100-acre 
area in such a way that it will extend all about the lake and on 
down its outlet to the Des Moines river, and otherwise con- 
form to their proposition, the board considers the ofifer a valu- 
able one and hereby recommends to the Executive Council the 
acquisition of the lands in compliance with the terms thereof. 

Adjourned. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 21 

Keosauqua, Iowa, July 12, 1919. 
Members present same as at the meeting at Keosauqua this 
date. The members having been conducted to and about the 
area locally known as the "Ely's Branch Country" by Messrs. 
H. E. Blackledge, Emory Ploughman, Arthur J. Secor, J. A. 
Brown and Sgt. H. E. Rees, and finding the said area a large un- 
interrupted expanse of native shrubs and trees, the ground deeply 
broken and otherwise well suited to the preservation of wild birds, 
animals and plants, and the same being accessible on all sides by 
a well traveled highway from which by-roads lead toward the 
center north margin, an ancient ford across the Des Moines 
river, and said lands being bounded for an extent of something 
like a mile on the north side by the Des Moines river and extend- 
ing back from the river a distance of from one to three miles 
formerly of the character above described, and the members hav- 
ii.ig observed an unusual number of quail and having observed 
upon a prior trip in February of the present year four different 
ruffed grouse, and the Board having learned that the hills and 
river bank above stated now and for many years have been re- 
sorted to by people residing from nearby to a distance of 20 
miles as a place of recreation, and the Board having been assured 
by the above named gentlemen that at least 600 acres of said 
lands could be procured at an average cost of not exceeding 
$40.00 per acre upon which purchase price they and other citizens 
would be willing to contribute a sum of not less than $6,400, if 
the' state would take the same, administer and conduct it as a 
game reserve and recreation ground. 

In the course of the state's policy of providing and maintaining 
its system of state parks, and the Board considering the above 
described area and the proposition made concerning the same to 
be respectively advantageous, considers that the same should be 
accepted and do hereby recommend that the Executive Council 
do accept, acquire and improve said grounds in accordance with 
the terms of the offer made. 

Adjourned. 



Davenport, Iowa. July 19, 1919. 

Present: Dr. L. H. Pammel, President; E. H. Plarlan, Secre- 
tary ; Joseph Kelso, member. 

The Board met in session at the office of Cook & Balluft", and 
held conference with Miss Emma C. Brandt and Miss Clara L. 



22 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Brandt, who are the owners of the farm lands in Muscatine 
County, known as "Wild Cat Den" embracing some fifty-five 
acres, and a great part of a more extended area of high \alue for 
State Park purposes, because of its scenic, scientific and liistoric 
characteristics. The following Avas adopted : 

Whereas, the Misses Brandt propose as follows: To deed to the State 
of Iowa by appropriate deeds, the tract of land above referred to, but not 
herein specifically described, with the understanding that the same shall 
be a part of a State Park, under the control and supervision of the State 
Board of Conservation, upon the following conditions : 

1. That the State Board of Conservation shall proceed within two 
years, to acquire either by purchase or gift, at least seventeen acres from 
one Welsh and twenty acres from one Pitchner, and from the owners 
thereof, the land lying between the southerly line of the property now 
owned by the Misses Brandt to the Mississippi River, and along Pine 
Creek, and extending westwardly to the highway, and eastwardly to a suf- 
ficient distance from said Creek, so as to include suitable grounds on the 
east side. 

2. That the land agreed to be donated shall always be used for a State 
Park and shall never be used for any commercial purposes. 

3. That the native plants found on the land shall be preserved, and 
that the forests on the land shall be kept intact except where it shall 
be necessary to give place to roads and paths, and that in case of de- 
struction or removal of any of the trees they shall be replaced by native 
species. 

4. That the State Board of Conservation shall assume all responsi- 
bility for the proper care and protection of the land as soon as the land 
is delivered over to the State Board of Conservation, and that the neces- 
sary warden or keeper shall be provided. 

5. That the donors of said land reserve the right of use and occupa- 
tion of the buildings and surrounding land sufhcient to provide a suitable 
yard and space for the necessary outbuildings, not exceeding seven acres 
and to be definitely designated and marked by appropriate monuments or 
fence. That this reservation shall be one of full ownership, except that 
the donors shall not sell, trade, or exchange the land or building, but upon 
voluntary relinquishment, and upon the death of the survivor of the two 
donors, the land and buildings shall automatically revert to the State, 
and become a part of the State Park. 

6. That the State Board of Conservation, upon taking over the land as 
described, shall begin making arrangements at the earliest convenience, 
to make the necessary immediate improvements, entrances and exits, so 
that the State Park shall be open to the general public within two years 
from the date of the delivery of the deeds. 

7. That if, at the end of two years fi-om the date of this offer, the 
State has failed to begin the necessary improvements, and have not 
opened the park to the public, or have not taken care of same, that this 
deed shall then be null and void. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 23 

8. That if in the future the State Board of Conservation shall have 
failed to carry out the conditions enumerated herein, that the land as 
described shall then revert to the owners or their heirs. 

9. That the said State Park when established shall be known and 
named as "Wild Cat Den" or some derivative thereof. 

And, whereas, the above and foregoing offer is a valuable condition 
precedent to the creation of a suitable State Park, of which the gift is 
a nucleus; and 

Whereas, a total area of not less than three hundred acres is desirable 
for such park, the use and value of which to the region surrounding of a 
radius of perhaps twenty miles would receive a benefit of approximately 
half that to the public at large, it is the opinion of the State Board of Con- 
servation that this gift shall be accepted on the conditions made, and 
that in order to acquire the balance of the lands, the Board should cause 
the co-operation with it on behalf of the citizens in the immediate neigh- 
borhood in the following or some other practical way: 

First:— The citizens should assure the Board the entire area additional 
to the 55 acres, which shall be acquired within one year of this date, at 
an average cost per acre of not to exceed dollars per acre. 

Second: — Of the total cost price of lands additional to the 55 acres 
the citizens of the locality should contribute not less than Five Thousand 
($5000) Dollars, and the State pay the balance of the purchase price. 

Third: — Upon the completion of these conditions the State should take 
over, improve, administer and maintain forever the area as a State Park, 
carrying these conditions in substance in its records, upon its maps, 
guides and tablets, in such a way as to carry into the most remote fu- 
ture, the element of philanthropy entering into the gift of the Brandt 
sisters. 

A committee is hereby created to consist of Mr. Kelso and the Secre- 
tary, which is hereby directed to submit to the Executive Council a copy 
of these minutes for the tentative approval of said Council, and upon said 
tentative approval, the Committee is directed forthwith to proceed by 
personal, or other methods, to a proper arrangement with the local 
citizens for the prompt and elTectual carrying out of the conditions hereof. 



Tama, Iowa, July 21, 1919. 
Present: Chairman L. H. Pammel, Secretary E. R. Harlan, 
Mr. Kelso, member. 

The Commission being in conference with Messrs. II. T.. 
Cherry, F. A. Solomon, H. L. Roberts, E. E. Goodell and George 
Austin, proceeded to examine an area embracing the reservoir,, 
embracing some forty acres of water artificially impounded, the 
grounds thereabouts including the race or ditch leading thereto' 
from a point upon the Iowa river some four miles upstream, and 
a number of sites of hilly, wooded character nearby. 



24 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The citizens represented to the Commission that the reservoir 
and all its attributes are the private property of the Cherry 
Co., manufacturers of straw-board products, one indispensable 
supply being a constant head of running- water at present of a 
volume of 1500 gal. per minute. 

It is possible an eventual requirement of 3000 gal. per minute 
may result from expanded business. It was represented that 
under the present construction and at the lowest stage of the 
water in the Iowa River, the said quantity of 1500 gal. is regu- 
larly delivered together with an additional volume wasted over 
the retaining embankment of the full actual amount. In other 
words, there is always flowing fully 3000 gal. per minute of 
which the half only is at present required. 

It was further represented that said flow of water possibly em- 
braces some power value. 

It was represented to the Board that the citizens are ready and 
willing to turn over to the Board the reservoir, ditch and grounds 
going therewith of a width from the water's edge of not less than 
100 feet in all directions except where the railroad embankment 
forms part of the retaining wall, provided the State would convert 
the same into a recreation ground or park, and would deliver 
the Cherry Company a maximum of 3000 gal. per minute or as 
much thereof as the flow of the Iowa River, under proper control, 
will supply; and provided that if said Cherry Company in future 
desire, they may, without interference of the State, use of the 
stream or reservoir, produce power therefrom. 

The Board, taking into account the peculiar interest to the 
public at large of the Musquakie Indians on their reservation of 
some 3600 acres of land through which the Iowa River and the 
Lincoln Highway run, both of which are approximately parallel 
with each other and with the Milwaukee and North Western 
Railroads from the dam in the Iowa River on this Indian Reser- 
vation to the city, of Tama, are of the opinion that what ever shall 
be done with respect to a state park or any reservation on the 
part of the State, ought to recognize the quality of interest pro- 
posed by the Indian reservation and so establish and direct the 
state's interests as to aflford some benefit to the Indians on the 
reservation as well as derive benefit therefrom. Therefore, the 
Board directed its Secretary to take up and pursue with the 
Indians and all other necessary authorities, a plan of connecting 
with any use that may be made of the aforesaid water and its 
surroundings, with the Indian Reservation as such. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 25 

It is suggested by the Secretary that he ascertain whether 
the Indians could and would be willing to give over to the State 
of Iowa for at least an experimental period of five years, the use 
of not less than fifty acres of their lands not now in cultivation 
and lying as near to the Iowa River dam as they will allow, 
reaching up to and over the high lands, and if there is no impedi- 
ment to this arrangement whether the state would be empowered 
to use such lands as its own upon a demand of a reasonable rate 
of interest upon the actual value of the lands. 

The Board further considered that if no suitable arrangement 
could be made to the satisfaction of the Indians and to this 
Board, that then an area of some 50 or 60 acres lying contiguous 
or convenient to said reservation, Lincoln Highway and supply 
ditch of said reservoir, at a minimum cash value, be acquired. 

And it appearing that the question of providing and maintain- 
ing the required flow of water for the use of the Cherry Company 
implies a study and conclusion with regard to the difficulty and 
expense of the necessary engineering and constructing elements, 
particularly of the erection and maintenance of a suitable dam, 
the dredging and deepening of the ditch and lake, and the widen- 
ing of the embankments call for a considerable amount of tech- 
nical investigation of which the Cherry Company already has 
conducted a part, if not the whole, it is by the Board therefore 

Requested that the citizens of Tama accepting the assurance 
of the Board that the project of making a state park of the na- 
tural and artificial elements investigated, procure and submit to 
this Board a complete investigation and survey with plans, speci- 
fications and estimates such as would be demanded by any 
conservative and substantial person looking to the establish- 
ment of this project as a commercial enterprise, and especially 
for the construction of a suitable dam in the Iowa River, the 
deepening and widening of the race or ditch, the widening of the 
embankment and the dredging of the lake, all so itemized that the 
Board would be advised with respect to one without necessarily 
considering the other elements- of this problem. Also, it is re- 
quested of these citizens that they advise further, if the Board 
finds it cannot recommend the taking over of the reservoir and 
the ditch and the provision of the necessary construction and 
maintenance to produce a suitable recreation enterprise, the 
citizens would provide cost free to the State, the area of eighteen 
acres south of the reservoir, so well suited for the creation of 



26 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

a garden of wet land, trees, shrubs and llowers, and also in case 
the Secretary of this Board shall fail to procure a suitable con- 
cession of Indian lands, a further area conveniently near the In- 
dian Reservation and to the Lincoln llig-hway and the reservoir, 
or lake should be acquired. If said citizens are unable to assure 
the Hoard the delivery cost free of both the eigliteen acre tract 
and the hill land — if the Secretary fail to obtain the Indian lands 
— then it is requested to know what maximum amount of money 
would be required of the State to pay for either or both of these 
tracts and what percentage, if any of the purchase price would the 
citizens engage to bear. 

The Board considers that owing to the complicated character 
of this opportunity but the extraordinary interest thereof, it is 
instilled in asking the fullest participation on the part of the 
citizens of Tama in the preliminary investigation and in its final 
solution. 

The Secretary will certify these minutes to the Executive 
Council as an indication of the policy of the Board with respect 
to the Tama area and as an evidence of its good faith to the 
citizens of Tama. 



McGregor, Iowa, July 28, 1919. 

Present : Gov. Harding and Treasurer Hoyt of the Executive 
Council, Chairman Pammel, Secretary Harlan, Mr. Kelso, Mr. 
Ford, Asst. Secretary Mott, Fish and Game Warden Albert. Asst. 
Warden St. John and others. Meeting held at the office of F. G. 
Bell. 

Mrs. Viva Button, of Charles City, was present and addressed 
the meeting upon the subject of the reservation of the notable 
granite boulder near Charles City. A motion by Mr. Kelso was 
adopted referring the matter to Dr. Pammel and Mr. Ford to 
investigate and report. 

Mr. Cooper of Boone, representing the Commercial Club of 
that city, presented the subject of acquiring the area known as 
'"The Ledges" near that city. The substance of the Board's 
response was that a considerable area should be acquired there 
cmliracing the Ledges and sufficient ground to perpetuate na- 
tural plant and animal life and room for the parking of cars in 
large numbers and for every element of recreational grounds. Mr. 
Cooper was further advised that inasmuch as a large proportion 
of the benefit expected to result would be to an area roughly 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 27 

estimated for a radius of twenty miles, it would be only fair if 
within such radius there be raised a portion of the purchase price 
of the lands, and that all the lands be tendered the state free from 
excessive values and clear of litigation and all other embarrass- 
ing details. The board accepted Mr. Cooper's suggestion that it 
would in the fall meet with his club and canvass the matter. 

Mrs. H. J. Taylor, of Sioux City, appeared before the Board, 
petitioning orally, asking that additional grounds to Stone Park 
be secured and saying the business men of Sioux City represent 
to her that the city will turn over Stone Park to the State if 
this additional ground be secured by the State. Mr. Ford and 
Dr. Pammel were appointed to investigate this matter. 

Dr. Pammel asks that the Board investigate the Big Springs 
and the Balsam fir grove in Allamakee County and that arrange- 
ments be made to acquire this area. 

Dr. Pammel reports that Hon. Ellison Orr and others of Alla- 
makee County urge that this area be preserved, at least that the 
stock be kept out until the area be acquired. 

There was also a similar request as to the Pine groves near 
Waterville. The Board appointed Messrs. Harlan and Pammel 
a committee to which these areas were referred. 

Motion was passed requesting the Executive Council to ap- 
prove the Board's recommendations for acquiring the Keosauqua 
and Farmington areas. 

Motion was passed that the Board authorize the attendance at 
the McGregor meeting of Assistant Secretary Mott and of 
stenographer. Miss Scott. 

Motion passed directing Chairman Pammel, Secretary Harlan 
and W. E. Albert to draft and promulgate temporary rules to 
govern Backbone Park. 

Motion passed appointing Chairman Pammel and Secretary 
Harlan a committee on the naming of parks. 

Motion passed requesting the Executive Council to furnish the 
Board with a map or survey of the Backbone area. 

Motion passed giving Dr. Pammel authority to make an 
exhibit at the State Fair. 

Motion passed authorizing Mr. Kelso ir\ negotiate for the 
Morehead Caves area. 

Motion passed appointing Dr. Pammel and State Fish and 
Came \\'arden Albert a. committee to investigate and report 
what action should be taken by this Board with reference to 



28 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

areas around Clear Lake, Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Twin Lakes and 
other lakes and to report. 

The following resolution was, by motion of E. R. Harlan, 
adopted : 

That lake park areas should be treated as follows: 

(a) Where the acquisition of areas is solely the question, these be 
automatically for the attention at convenience of Chairman Pammel 
and Warden Albert, tg report to this Board. 

(b) Where the matter relates to dams, water levels, riparian or other 
rights, dredging, reclamation or other matters involving the au- 
thority and responsibility of one or more of the following: 

The Executive Council; 

The Fish and Game Department; 

The Board of Conservation; 

The county, municipality or drainage districts in the respective 
regions, the Secretary of this Board shall assemble every question, 
arrange an itinerary in the month of October on which all the 
bodies named or representatives thereof shall proceed to the re- 
spective areas and after ample public notice confer with all con- 
cerned and jointly or severally the bodies dispose of the question's 
as they may be presented. 



SENTIMENTS ON ■ 
RECREATION PLAGES 



George W. Clarke 

VV. L. Harding 

John F. Lacey 

Franklin K. Lane 

Fred J. Lazell 

Thomas H. MacBride 

Stephen H. Mather 

Mark Twain 



SENTIMENTS ON RECREATION PLACES 



NATURE WAS KIND TO IOWA 

From Inaugural Address of Gov. W^n. L. Harding. January 16, 1919. 

Nature was in a most pleasant mood when our land was fashioned. 
She bounded us by two mighty rivers, here ever to be harnessed for 
power unlimited. She pencilled the landscape for beauty and util- 
ity. She left lake, and stream, and wooded hill, she gave forest and 
prairie for the pioneer, and coal to turn the wheels of industry. 

Life in abundance was hid in the soil, waiting only the hand of the 
plowman and springtime's gentle kiss to blossom into a harvest 
abundant to feed a hungry world. 

Here can be builded a civilization fashioned in the image of the 
Maker and translated into reality by the genius of man that shall be 
peer and leader of all the world. 

Play spots are necessary in building a permanent state. Men and 
women are but children grown up. Heart joys and heartaches are 
common to us all. Sentiment and tradition are threads that hold 
us steady and bring us back to the old homestead or the place of 
our birth. 



PEOPLE URGED TO PLANT TREES 

From Arbor Day Proclamation of^ Gov. George W. Clarke, made 

February 4, 1913. 

John Ruskin said : "While I live, I trust I shall have my trees, 
my peaceful idyllic landscapes, my free country life — and while I 
possess so much, I shall own 100,000 shares in the Bank of Content- 
ment." How we love the trees that sheltered our childhood! Some 
of the finest, sweetest memories of life are there. The tree that we 
planted with our own hands many years ago. now strong against 
winter storms and beautiful in summer sunshine, what a sense of 
proprietorship and inexpressible comfort we have in it. 

"Oh, have you seen on a wayside slope 

The elms and maples, with branches high. 
That some one planted, in faith and hope 
Far back in the silent years gone by? 



32 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

"Oh, not in vain there were left in trust 
To a later age the trees he set; 
When he who planted is turned to dust, 

The good that he wrought survives him yet." 

Then plant a tree. Let the children plant trees. Let a day be 
designated when all Iowa shall plant trees on the public school 
grounds. 

Thirty years ago the legislature enacted, "The board shall cause 
to be set out and properly protected twelve or more shade trees on 
each schoolhouse site where such trees are not growing." If this 
statute has sometimes been forgotten, it is well to revive the memiory 
of it. How fine it would be if the public generally, especially in the 
smaller towns and cities, under competent direction, would, with the 
schools, devote a day to the question of beautifying public parks and 
srrounds. 



THE BEAUTY OF GREAT TREES 
From a Proclamation by Gov. George W. Clarke. 

In an article in The Register and Leader of February 22, 1914-, 
entitled "The Forests of Iowa," Mr. H. C. Evans, of Des Moines, 
said : 

"There is an old elm in the yard of the J. J. Selman home in 
Bloomfield that is probably the largest tree in the state. The writer 
has had intimate acquaintance for over fifty years with another old 
elm a few miles northeast of Bloomfield. This tree was a monarch 
of the forest ere the white man set foot on Iowa soil. It was known 
to the Indian and the wild beast a hundred years before the inde- 
pendence of our country. It is probably three hundred years old. 
It reached its splendid proportions through great tribulations, in 
spite of wind and weather. We have seen its splendid branches 
whipped almost to the breaking point by terrific winds. It stands so 
high above surrounding objects that twice it has attracted the light- 
ning and it is scarred from tip to base. For, more than seventy 
years children have found a playground beneath its shade. It has 
withstood drouths and storms, the rigors of many winters, the as- 
saults of men and nature — and has not its fellow in beauty and 
grandeur for miles around. There is majesty and gripping pathos 
about a great tree. There is mystery about its everlasting silence, 
its tranquil patience." 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 33 

How fine, how great a thing it would be to plant a tree to with- 
stand the storms and beautify landscapes and shelter and refresh by 
its shade for centuries. Plant trees on the schoolgrounds of Iowa. 
Keep a record of the planting — when and by whom — that future 
generations may call your name blessed. All is for the future. Re- 
member that and contribute something to make life in the coming 
years desirable, beautiful, great. Fail not to do so in many ways, 
but plant trees. 



NEED OF RECREATION 

By Mark Twain, American Humorist and Author. 

We walked up and down one of the most popular streets for some 
time enjoying other people's comfort and wishing we could export 
some of it to our restless, driving, vitality-consuming marts at home. 
Just in this one matter lies the main charm in Europe : comfort. 
In America, we hurry, which is well ; but when the day's work is 
done, we go on thinking of losses and gains, we plan for the mor- 
row, we even carry our business cares to bed with us, and toss and 
worry over them when we ought to be restoring our racked bodies 
and brains with sleep. We burn up our energies with this excite- 
ment and either die early or drop into a mean and lean old age, at 
a time of life they call a man's prime in Europe. When an acre of 
ground has produced long and well, we let it lie fallow and rest for 
a season; we take no man clear across the continent in the same 
coach in which he started ; the coach is stabled somewhere on the 
plains and its heated machinery allowed to cool for a few days; 
when a razor has been long in service and refuses to hold an edge, 
tlie barber lays it aside for a few weeks and the edge comes back 
of its own accord. We bestow thoughtful care upon inanimate ob- 
jects but none upon ourselves. What a robust people, what a na- 
tion of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the 
shelf occassionally and renew our edges. 



BEAUTY OF RETURNING SEASONS 

By Mark Twain, American Humorist and Author. 

The land that has four well-defined seasons cannot lack beauty, 
or pall with monotony. Each season brings a world of enjoyment 
and interest in the watching of its unfolding, its gradual, harmonious 



34 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

development, its culminating traces — and just as one begins to tire 
of it, it passes away and a radical change comes, with new witch- 
eries and new glories in its train. And I think that, to one in sym- 
pathy with Nature, each season, in its turn, seems the loveliest. 

No land with an unvarying climate can be very beautiful. The 
tropics are not, for all the sentiment that is wasted on them. They 
seem beautiful at first, but sameness impairs the charm by-and-by. — 
"The Innocents at Home." 



OUR PLAYGROUNDS WITHOUT RIVALS 
By Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of Interior. 
To build a railroad, reclaim land, give new impulse to enterprise, 
and ofifer new doors to ambitious capital — these are phases of the 
ever-widening life and activity of this nation. The United States, 
however, does more ; it furnishes playgrounds to the people which 
are, we may modestly state, without any rivals in the world. Just 
as the cities are seeing the wisdom and necessity of open spaces for 
the children, so with a very large view the nation has been saving 
from its domain the rarest places of grandeur and beauty for the 
enjoyment of the world. 



OUR RICH NATURAL SCENERY 
By Stephen T. Mather. 
This nation is richer in natural scenery of the first order than any 
other nation; but it does not know it. It possesses an empire of 
grandeur and beauty which it scarcely has heard of. It owns the 
most inspiring playgrounds and the best-equipped native schools in 
the world and is serenely ignorant of the fact. In its national parks 
it has neglected because it has quite overlooked, an economic 
asset of incalculable value. — "The National Park Portfolio." 



GIVE BEAUTY ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE 
By Thomas H. Macbride, President State University of Iowa. 
Iowa once a park of splendor from river to river will be so again 
when ten million fortunate people, on some future day, shall each 
give beauty rightful place in the conduct of all successful living. 
Hail Iowa! — Greetings to Iowa Forestry and Conservation Associa- 
tion. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 35 

PRESERVE THE TREES 
By John F. Lacey, Congressman. 

Now I only speak about this, my friends, because it is a kindred 
question. It is one of the things that grows out of the agitation of 
forestry. A man or woman who preserves a tree in a practical way 
will preserve the things which that tree shelters and produces and 
that are useful to man. Again, I wish you God-speed, and I hope 
you will carry with you to every part of the United States the en- 
thusiasm which you will generate here — the enthusiasm which you 
will convey to one another — and that you will be a mighty band of 
missionaries all the way from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. 
— "Lacey Memorial Volume," p. 97. 

The United States government tardily recognized the necessity of 
preserving as public property some of the great wonders of nature. 
The Yellowstone National Park was the first one of these reserva- 
tions thus set apart as a national resort. Since then the public lands 
around the Yosemite have been embraced in a national park. Efforts 
are being made to save the big trees of California from the saw of 
the lumberman. Mt. Ranier has become a park and its natural 
scenery preserved from mutilation. — "Lacey Memorial Volume," 
p. 207. 

Forestry has found some difficulty in attracting attention, be- 
cause of the assumption that the subject is purely one of sentiment. 
It is true that sentiment does attach to the preservation of our 
forests. But the subject is in the highest degree one of practical 
utility. It is commonly true that there is an esthetic side to all prac- 
tical and useful subjects. The poet and the painter may rejoice in 
the contemplation of the woods. But the farmer, the miller, the 
boatman, and the lumberman may now combine to preserve as well 
as to enjoy the beneficial uses of this great element of our national 
wealth. 

A vigorous and healthy forest is the height of nature's adorn- 
ment. We have always been sensible to its beauty; wc are now 
deeply concerned in its utility. The forests have always been mod- 
est in their requirements. All they have asked for has been stand- 
ing room. Give them but place and they will do their work pa- 
tiently. Their long arms have reached out for ages and gathered 
from the air the elements of growth, which they have added to the 
soil. — "Lacey Memorial Volume," p. 88. 



36 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

GOD'S GREAT OUT-OF-DOORS 
By Frederick J. Lazell, Author. 

It is indeed a pleasure thus to open the gate while my friend leads 
us away from the din and rush of the city into "God's great out-of- 
doors." Having walked with him on "Some Winter Days," one is 
all the more eager to follow him in the gentler months of spring- — 
that mother season, with its brooding pathos, and its seeds stirring 
in their sleep as if they dreamed of flowers. 

Our guide is at once an expert and a friend, a man of science and 
a poet. If he should sleep a year, like dear "Old Rip," he would 
know, by the calendar of the flowers, what day of the month he 
awoke. He knows the story of the trees, the arts of insects, the 
habits of birds and their parts of speech. His wealth of detail is 
amazing, but never wearying, and he is happily allusive to the na- 
ture-lore of the poets, and to the legends and myths of the woodland. 
— "Some Spring Days in Iowa." 

The majority of Iowa people still find pleasure in the simple life, 
still have the love for that which nature so freely bestows. They 
find time to look upon the beauty of the world. Many a busy man 
finds his best recreation in the woods and fields. It may be only a 
few hours each week, but it is enough to keep the music of the 
flowing ever in his ears and the light of the sunshine in his eyes. 
It is enough to give the men and the women of the state wholesome 
views of life, happy hearts and broad sympathies. Some few find 
in the woods and fields thoughts and feelings which are, to them, 
almost akin to religion. If this little book helps such lovers of the 
oul-of-doors ever so little; if it shall help others to see for tlicn- 
selves the beauty and the joy and the goodness of this world i 
which we live, the author will feel that it has been worth while. — 
"vSome Summer Days in Iowa," p. 8. 

But one need not go to Concord to find Walden woods and ponds. 
Had Thoreau lived in Iowa he could have written just as richly, 
and had Bryant's home been on the hither side of the Father of 
\\'aters he would have sung just as sweetly. By and by some writer 
with the learning of a naturalist and the soul of a poet shall tell of 
the beauties in this great garden of Eden which is embraced by two 
mighty rivers and is filled with the color and perfume of the rarest 
flowers and the music of the sweetest of the singing birds. Well 
might the Indians call this state "loway. Toway, beautiful land." — 
"Some Autumn Days in Iowa," pp. 5-6. 

Tlumanitv has alwavs turned to nature for relief from toil and 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 37 

Strife. This was true of the old world; it is much more true of the 
new, especially in recent years. There is a growing interest in wild 
things and wild places. The benedicitc of the Druid woods, always 
appreciated by the few, like Lowell, is coming to be understood by 
the many. There is an increasing desire to get away from the roar 
and rattle of the streets, away from even the prime formality of 
suburban avenues and artificial bits of landscape gardening into the 
panorama of woodland, field, and stream. Men with means are dis- 
posing of their palatial residences in the city and moving to real 
homes in the country, where they can see the. sunrise and the death 
of day, hear the rhythm of the rain and the murmur of the wind, 
and watch the unfolding of the first fiowers of spring. Cities are 
purchasing large parks where the beauties of nature are merely 
accentuated, not marred. States and the nation are setting big tracts 
of wilderness where rock and rill, waterfall and canon, mounta' i 
and marsh, shell-strewn beach and starry-blossomed brae, fiowerful 
islets and wondrous wooded hills welcome the populace, soothe tired 
nerves and mend the mind and the morals. These are encouraging 
signs of the times. At last w^e are beginning to understand, with 
Emerson, that he who knows what sweets and virtues are in the 
ground, the waters, the plants, the heavens, and how to come at 
these enchantments is the rich and royal man. It is as if some new 
prophet had arisen in the land, crying, "Ho, everyone that is worn 
and weary, come ye to the woodlands ; and he that hath no money 
let him feast upon these things which are really rich and abiding." 
While we are making New Year resolves let us resolve to spend 
less time with shams, more with realities ; less with dogma, more 
with sermons in stones ; less with erotic novels and baneful jour- 
nals, more with, the books in the running brooks; listening less 
readily to gossip and malice, more willing to the tongues in trees ; 
spending more pleasureful hours in the music of bird and breeze, 
rippling rivers, and laughing leaves ; less time with cues and cards 
and colored comics, more with cloud and star, fish and field, and 
forest. "The cares that infest the day" shall fall like the burden 
from Christian's back as we watch the fleecy clouds or the silver 
stars mirrored in the waveless waters. We shall call the constella- 
tions by their names and become on speaking terms with the luring 
voices of the forest fairyland. We shall "thrill with the resurrection 
called spring," and steep our senses in the fragrance of the flowers ; 
glory in the gushing life of summer, sigh at the sweet sorrows of 
autumn, and wax virile in winter's strength of storm and snow. — 
"Some Winter Days in Iowa," pp. 9-11. 



PURCHASED OR 
CONSIDERED AREAS 



Backbone Area, Delaware County. 

Calvin, Samuel 
Carr, E. M. 

Lees, James H. 
Pammel, L. H. 
Small, Mrs. W. B. 



Buckingham Lake, Mills County. 

Dean, Seth 
Pammel, L. H. 
Udden, J. A. 



Lower Des IVIoines Area. 

Gordon, C. H. 
Harlan, E. R. 
Pammel, L. H. 



Moorehead Caves, Jackson County. 

House, Mrs. A. J. 
Lees, James H. 
Pammel, L. H. 
Savage, E. T. 



Wild Cat Den, Muscatine County. 

Pammel, L. H. 
Reppert, Ferdinand 
Udden, J. A. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 41 

PURCHASED OR CONSIDERED AREAS. 



REPORT OF THE BACKBONE AREA. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The Devil's Backbone, in Delaware County in northeastern Iowa, has 
become somewhat famous because of the geologic investigations made 
by McGee in his exhaustive memoir on the Pleistocene history of north- 
eastern Iowa. (Rep. U. S. Geological Survey, 1891:189-577). The 
earlier work of David Dale Owen in 1839 who made a (Rep. of the 
Geological Exploration of part of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 1844) 
report on the mineral lands, soils, timber and rock. Many years later 
the lamented Dr. S. Calvin made an investigation of the unique topography, 
geology and fossils of the region. (Iowa Geo. Survey 8:121-192). Dr. 
Calvin in describing this region says: 

"The region in Richland township includes the somewhat noted locality 
known as the 'Backbone.' The Backbone is a high rocky ridge around 
which the Maquoketa forms a loop. The summit of the ridge rises from 
90 to 140 feet above the stream. Its sides are in places precipitous, the 
rocky cliffs rising sheer for more than SO feet. Erosion and secular de- 
cay have carved the rocks into picturesque columns, towers, castles, 
battlements and flying buttresses. The exposed surfaces are deeply 
pitted and weather worn. Crevices, widened by protracted chemical 
action of air and water, are wholly or partly filled with dark brown 
residual clay or geest. The stream, on each side of the ridge, flows in 
a deep valley. The 'Backbone' with its valleys on the east and west is 
a bit of Driftless area, and the sections north of the Backbone, namely, 

3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10, as well as the region to the southeast between the 
center of section 16 and Forestville, and southward along the river to 
section 34, constitute a region of loess-Kansan topography." 

The deep valleys of the Richland highland as well as the similar 
valley of the north Maquoketa resemble canyons of pre-glacial origin. 

There is no drift, at least there is none of lowan age. The exposures 
occur on hills through which the. Maquoketa flows in a gorge 200 feet in 
depth. The hills rise eighty to one hundred feet above the adjacent por- 
tions of the lowan drift plain, and the region is one of many that give very 
positive indications of the fact that in Delaware county the lowan ice 
did not overflow eminences that rose a few score of feet above the gen- 
eral level. The region is rich in fossils. Dr. Calvin says: "At the 
Backbone, in section 16 of Richland township, the vertical cliffs, eighty to 
ninety feet in height, show the following section: 

Feet 

4. Pentamerus beds, massive and weathering irregularly 25 

3. Band of chert, with oasts of Pentamerus 1 

2. Pentamerus beds, like No. 4 43 

1. Massive beds, without Pentamerus, but containing colonies of 

Halysites catenulatus and Syringopora tenella 20" 

Some fifty kinds of fossils have been found in this region. 



42 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Alluvium covers the flat bottom of the valley through which the 
Maquoketa flov^^s at the Backbone. 

The trees and timber of the region are of interest. There are as 
many species in this small area as in any other similar area in north- 
eastern Iowa. White pine — ^the white pine are among the largest and 
oldest native white pine in the state. I saw a stump there which was 
nearly four feet in diameter and I should judge that these trees go back 
to the time when Iowa belonged to France. The Indians protected these 
trees and why should we not do the same. Common juniper, red cedar, 
American yew, three poplars — ^the quaking aspen, large-toothed aspen 
and Cottonwood—. Five species of willow as black willow, almond-leaf 
willow, prairie willow, pussy willow and dwarf-gray willow. Of the oaks 
the following are: Chestnut, bur, red, white, quercitron and barren. 
Some of the old oaks, perhaps one hundred and fifty years old are still 
standing. It is the fervent desire of scientists that they be preserved. 
The blue beech, ironwood and paper birch occur. Of the nut bearing 
trees, the butternut, black walnut, shell-bark hickory, pig-nut and hazel- 
nut. The sycamore also occurs. This is a very rare tree in northern 
Iowa. There are three elms, the American, slippery, cork or rock elms, 
also the hackberry, the leatherwood — a beautiful early, blooming shrub 
with numerous yellow flowers also occur. The common elder, abundant 
and the less common red berried elder, the high bush cranberry, arrow- 
wood and snowberry, and two honeysuckles are interesting shrubs found 
in this region. There are four dog-woods — the rare round leaved dog- 
wood, silky cornel, red osier and the alternate-leaved dogwood is 
abundant over the hills. There are three species of goosberries and 
wild currants. The prickly and smooth gooseberry and the wild black 
currant. 

The Rose family is represented by the common red raspberry, ,wild 
white rose, wild crab and five species of wild red haws and the service 
berry. Wild black cherry, choke cherry and pin cherry, the wild plum 
and nine bark. The honey-locust, coffee-bean, and the false indigo are 
common in this region. 

There are three species of sumac — the poison ivy, the beautiful stag- 
horn sumac and the common sumac. 

There are some very fine specimens and many of them of hard maples 
or the black maple and the common hard maple, the silver maple and 
the boxelder. 

The bladdernut is also frequent. The Virginia creeper and wild grape 
found everywhere as is the climbing bitter sweet; there are also many 
specimens of the burning bush or wahoo. 

The prickly ash is distributed everywhere along this stream. 

There are fine specimens of the basswood. 

The walking-leaf fern, spleenwort, maiden hair fern and bracken are 
common in this region. 

Of other herbaceous plants, mention may be made of the moccasin 
flower, trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, violets, spring beauty and other plants 
are abundant. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA io 

THE BACKBONE OF DELAWARE COUNTY- 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Just now, when friends of conservation in Iowa are interested in the 
purchase of the land adjacent to the Backbone, in Delaware county, they 
may welcome some statements regarding the physical features of a re- 
gion which is remarkable, alike in its own character and in its relation 
to the surrounding county. The Backbone region is a rugged island rising 
out of the gently swelling sea of the Iowa prairie. It is a bit of the 
"oldland" which elsewhere is hidden by the mantle of the newer glacial 
drift. Amid its deep valleys and precipitous cliffs one imagines himself, 
and rightly, in a land of ten thousand centuries. Clambering to the level 
of the nearby upland he looks over a plain which has been barely 
touched by the graving tools of Nature 

Geographically the Backbone is situated almost in the center of Rich- 
land, the northwestern township of Delaware county. It is thus in close 
proximity to four counties, Delaware, Buchanan, Fayette and Clayton. 
Its location makes it easy of access from numerous towns and villages 
round about — Manchester, Strawberry Point, Independence, Oelwein, 
Fayette, West Union — from these and many others it is within easy 
reach, a feature which adds much to its desirability and utility. As in- 
dicated before, although it is surrounded by the nearly level or gently 
rolling prairie so characteristic of Iowa, the Backbone region itself is 
exceedingly rugged and rough — ^a bit of the driftless area. The Back- 
bone proper is a long narrow ridge lying within a loop of Maquoketa 
river, which bends back upon itself to the north for a distance of half a 
mile or more and then, again making a turn to the southeast, resumes 
its normal course. Above the waters of the stream the rocky cliffs rise 
vertically to heights of eighty to a hundred feet, while the more distant 
hills stand sixty to a hundred feet still higher. The rock walls of the 
valley are dotted and surmounted by occasional clumps of the rare white 
pine or the red cedar, which seem to seek the most barren spots for their 
foothold. The level flood plain with its carpet of grass and the grateful 
shade of its forest covering offers a tempting resting place for tourist or 
camper. If one wishes to climb to the summit of the Backbone, an easy 
path offers itself or the more venturesome may ascend the "stairway" a 
great crevice in the rocks, widened through the ages by solution and de- 
cay, until now it affords a dizzy passage for the clear of head and strong 
of limb. From long exposure to the forces of Nature the rocks have been 
carved into towers and columns and battlements and all the picturesque 
forms which such materials assume under the touch of Time. 

To the student and lover of nature, the history through which a re- 
gion has passed is always interesting and enlightening. One learns to 
appreciate more fully scenic features through a knowledge of the pro- 
cesses and vicissitudes by which they have attained their present forms. 
So we may well afford to look back into the past and see the evolution of 
the Backbone with its contiguous territory. We shall see it eons ago as 
it lay beneath the Silurian sea and was being built up by the slow ac- 
cumulation of the beds of limestone which now forms its mass and out 
of which the river gorge has been cut. On the sea floor were multitudes 



44 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

of the life forms of the time, forms whicli dying left their shells on the 
bottom and in the muds beneath. These shells and their casts today 
bear clear witness to the abundance of the life of those days, as the ac- 
companying figure shows. When we realize that these types persisted 
so long that their fossil remains are found through sixty feet of lime- 
stone we can understand what hosts there must have been. 

Once and again in all probability the seas covered our area, but the 
materials which were spread over their floors have long since been swept 
away, at least from the particular region with which we are now con- 
cerned. Rocks of the Devonian period are present in southwestern Dela- 
ware and the southwest half of Buchanan countips, and unquestionably 
they once extended much farther to the northeast. Whether the seas of 
Mississippian or later ages advanced thus far to the northeast we do not 
know. However, for age upon age, northeastern Iowa, as a part of a 
great central land-mass, lay exposed to all the destructive forces of na- 
ture until its once level plains were dissected into deep valleys and high 
hills. Then the great Nebraskan continental glacier advanced from 
the north, crept over these hills and valleys and buried them beneath its 
load of debris. In time the long winter merged into spring, the ice cap 
disappeared and vegetation covered the bare gray plains. After a long in- 
terval a second glacier, the Kansan, gathered its forces in the far north 
and again covered valley and hill and plain with its icy mantle, and, melt- 
ing away in turn, left its load of glacial drift spread over all the invaded 
lands. Upon these filled up and leveled off plains young streams at once 
set to work and in time cut a new series of valleys, very largely if not 
entirely independent of former systems of drainage. 

The third glacier of the series, the Illinoian, did not reach the Ba,ck- 
bone region, but the fourth one, the lowan, coming from the northwest, 
extended beyond the Backbone and across most of Delaware county. A 
remarkable feature of this glacier was that it seemed to have avoided cer- 
tain areas in its path, as is evident by the absence from them of any drift 
of lowan age. The Backbone is in one of these areas and so it is that while 
all about are smooth gentle slopes and shallow swales of the lowan area, 
within the Backbone region itself are the deep-cut valleys and vertical 
rock-walled cliffs of the Kansan drift area and of the Driftless area to the 
northeast. The reason for these anomalous conditions probably lies in 
the fact that the Backbone region rises above the surrounding country, 
that while its hills and ridges reach heights of 1,150 to 1,200 feet above 
sea level, in the country round about similar altitudes are not reached 
for several miles distant to the north and northwest. Thus the lowan 
glacier, which carried only a light load of debris, and which probably was 
itself but a thin sheet of ice, was unable to sui-mount these outstanding 
prominences and never covered them with its veneer of mingled cfey and 
gravel. However, there was laid down over these rugged hills a layer 
of fine wind-blown dust known as loess which covers but does not con- 
ceal the topography of an older time. 

The question naturally arises as to the reason for this great loop in 
the river which causes the Backbone. The most probable answer seems 
to be that when drainage began on the level Kansan drift plain its course 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 45 

was formed without reference to the solid rock beneath the drift cover- 
ing but was determined entirely by the features of the surface. In the 
case of Maquoketa river these features forced the stream over a buried 
pre-Kansan hill of rock where the Backbone is now located. Some irreg- 
ularities in the region, either on the surface of the Kansan drift plain, 
or which seems less likely, in the rock surface after the stream had cut 
down to it caused the river to assume a sharply winding course and these 
windings have doubtless been accentuated with the development of the 
valley. The lowan drift was so thin that it could not entirely conceal 
the valleys which it occupied and hence after the retreat of the lowan 
ice the Maquoketa may have resumed its former course across the lowan 
plain and through the Backbone region. Of course the possibility must 
be kept in mind that the valley may date from post-Nebraskan time, but 
there seems to be no definite evidence in regard to this. Both above the 
Backbone region and below it the river is flowing through a broad, shallow 
drift-covered sag valley, which is in striking contrast with the deep rock- 
cut canyon that so nearly surrounds the Backbone. This beautiful spot, 
charming alike in its contrasts and in its many picturesque features, 
stands as perpetual testimony to the effectiveness of the geologic forces 
and the variety of the geologic activities which have been engaged in its 
sculpturing and completion for our enjoyment and benefit. 



SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

In my visit to the Devil's Backbone last fall and in December it was 
impossible for me to entirely cover the area and thus comment on all 
of the desirble features of the area. The matter of purchasing the land 
has certainly been put in the hands of a most trustworthy man, Mr. Hoyt, 
who not only knows eveiT foot of the land but the many springs and de- 
sirable features. He has performed his duties in an eminently and highly 
satisfactory way. When the land is too high three appraisers, Senator 
Newberry, of Strawberry Point, Judge Dunliam, of Manchester, and Mr. 
Abbott, of Lamont, have appraised the land. The eminent fairness of 
these men and their good judgment puts the matter in such shape that 
the state will be greatly benefitted by their wise judgment. 

A point not brought out in previous reports is the accessibility of the 
park to the people of Lamont, 4V^ miles; Strawberry Point. 3 miles; 
Manchester, 14 miles. The acquiring of the large spring on the spring 
branch of the Maquoketa river and the adjacent bluffy land will prove to 
have been a very wise plan on the part of the Conservation Board and 
Executive Council. The water of the spring is about the same during the 
entire year and of the same temperature winter and summer, clear, 
sparkling water coming out at the base of a limestone outcrop. The 
bluffs on both sides of the stream are well wooded. Some of the original 
trees of white, red, bur and barren oak, white pine, red cedar, hard maple, 
hackberry, basswood, ash, hickory still hardy, although much of this is 
of second growth trees of oak, maple, basswood, red cedar, white, slip- 
pery and corky elm and bark elm. The steep rocky bluffs in some places 



46 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

are covered with ground hemlock or yew and ironwood, blue beech and 
red cedar. It is interesting to note that a white oak, two feet in diameter 
was 96 years old or that it was a seedling during the period of Long's 
exploring expedition. "We were also able to count the annual rings on 
two white pine stumps cut a few years ago. The diameter of the first 
tree was 3 feet 2 inches. This was a seedling during the revolutionary 
war. A second tree was 140 years old, therefore a seedling during the 
revolutionary war. The diameter of this tree was 3 feet 4 inches. These 
trees stood on one of the banks of Spring Branch. There are other trees 
equally as large on the Maquoketa. The diameter of one of them was 3 
feet, 3 inches, and it was 60 feet high. There are a few trees with a 
slightly greater diameter, and perhaps 75 feet high. A rough estimate 
places the white pine trees left standing at 200. They add a charm to 
the whole region. Of course, there are hundreds of quaking aspen and 
large-toothed aspen. One of the fallen large-toothed aspen, (poplar), 
was 52 feet long. This tree is as common as the quaking aspen. The 
area also contains thousands of red cedar, white and red oak, basswoods, 
slippery elms, bur oaks and a few chestnut oaks. The woods were cov- 
ered with a fine display of spring flowers, anenione, rue anemone, blue 
and yellow violets, columbine, lungworts. Saint Jacobs ladder, sweet 
Williams, hepatica, blood roots, dutchman's breeches, painted cup, louse- 
wort, everlasting wild ginger. The list of plants collected by me is ap- 
pended herewith. 

Ulmus racemosa. Corky bark elm. 

Phlox divaricata. Sweet William. 

Amelanchier canadensis. Service berry. 

Carpinus americana. Blue beech. 

Rihes gracile. Smooth gooseberry. 

Ribes cynosbati. Prickly gooseberry. 

Ribes floridum. Black currant. 

Sanguinaria canadensis, Blood root. 

Salix cordata. Pussy willow. 

Trillium erectum var declinatuui, Trillium. 

Viola cucullata. Blue violet. 

Viola pubescens, Yellow violet. 

Rhus typhina, Staghorn sumach. 

Juniperus virginiana. Red cedar. 

Asaruni canadense. Wild ginger. 

Taxus haccata. Yew. 

Ostrya virginica, Ironwood. 

Anemone nemerosa. Wind flower. 

Polemonium reptans. Saint Jacob's ladder. 

Claytonia virginica. Spring beauty. 

Anemonella thalictroides, Rue anemone 

Mitella diphylla. Bishop's cap. 

Luzula campestris. Rush. 

Prunus americana, Wild plum. 

Castillea coccinea. Paint brush. 

Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's breeches. 

Isopyrum biternatum. False rue anemone. 

Pyrola secunda, Shin leaf. 

Hepatica auctiloba, Hepatica. 

Arabia laevigata. Mustard. 

Populus grandidentata, Large toothed aspen. 

Uvularia grandiflora, Bellwort. 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 47 

Might I suggest that during the summer plans should be made for a 
road leading to the park from the Lamont and Manchester side of the 
park; also that before next summer we should make arrangements with 
Professor G. B. MacDonald to reforest the depleted area with native 
species. I noticed in some places young white pines are coming up, 
showing that when given a chance native species will recover the ground. 

GEOLOGY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 
By Samuel Calvin, Geologist. 

Inside the lowan area, and surrounded on all sides by lowan drift, are 
two anomalous regions that seem not to have been invaded by lowan ice. 
One of the regions occupies the central part of Richland township and 
may be called the Richland highlands. The other embraces three-fourths 
of Delhi township, and parts of Milo, North Fork, South Fork and Union 
townships and may for convenience of reference be named the Delhi 
plateau. The regions in question seem to have been islands in the 
midst of the lowan glacial sea. At all events they contain no lowan drift. 
The topography is erosional, partly resembling the loess Kansan type, 
partly that of the driftless area. Except in the stream valleys the sur- 
face is on the average higher than that of the lowan drift plain, the dif- 
ference in elevation ranging from forty to more than a hundred feet. 
Both areas are traversed by the Maquoketa river. In each there are heavy 
bodies of loess exhibiting the rounded hills, steep slopes and sharp val- 
leys that result from erosion of this peculiar deposit. In each there 
are spaces, free from both loess and drift, in which steep rocky cliffs, isolated 
towers, and all other features of driftless area topography are character- 
istically developed. 

The region in Richland township includes the somewhat noted locality, 
the "Backbone." The "Backbone" is a high rocky ridge around which 
the Maquoketa forms a loop. The summit of the ridge rises from 90 to 
140 feet above the stream. Its sides are in places precipitous, the rocky 
cliffs rising sheer for more than 80 feet. Erosin and secular decay have 
carved the rocks into picturesque columns, towers, castles, battlements 
and flying buttresses. The exposed surfaces are deeply pitted and 
weather worn. Crevices, widened by protracted chemical action of air 
and water, are wholly or partly filled with dark brown residual clay or 
geest. The stream, on each side of the ridge, flows in a deep valley. The 
"Backbone" with its valleys on the east and west is a bit of Driftless 
area, and the sections north of the "Backbone," namely 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10, 
as well as the region to the southeast between the centre of section 16 
and Forestville, and southward along the river to section 34, constitute 
a region of loess Kansan topography. 

Between the south end of the area just described and the southeast 
quarter of section 4 of Milo township, the Maquoketa flows through the 
lowan drift plain, in a valley but little depressed below the general level 
of the country. In the northern part of Milo township, the river enters 
the second of the anomalous areas, and in doing so it turns away from 
a low drift plain to cleave its way through an area that rises from eighty 
to a hundred feet higher than that from which it turned aside. These 



48 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

areas of anomolous topography afford illustrations of McGee's anomalous 
rivers. In section 5, where the stream crosses the north line of Milo town- 
ship, the river channel is but a shallow trough in lowan drift, and the 
drift plain, with little change of level, extends for many miles toward the 
south. In the east part of section 9 of the same township the stream 
flows in an old rock-walled valley of erosion approximately 200 feet in 
depth. The gradient of the stream is not perceptibly changed, the greater 
depth of the valley being due to the increase in altitude of the general 
surface in passing from the first to the second point mentioned. 

With one or two unimportant exceptions, the Maquoketa flows in a 
comparatively deep canyon all the way from sections 9 of Milo township 
to the south line of Delaware county. At Hartwick, in section thirty of 
Delhi township, the valley is 190 feet in depth, and at Fleming's mill, 
a mile east of Hartwick, the depth is 215 feet. In Delhi township and 
in the northern part of Union the stream valley is cut through a plateau 
and not through a ridge, as is usual with other anomalous rivers. The 
pleateau has an extreme width of about ten miles, extending from section 
23 of Milo township to section 21 of North Fork, and embracing in its 
eastern margin the valley of Plum creek. Loess hills all around its bor- 
der rise sixty to eighty feet above the adjacent drift plain, and through- 
out its entire area of about sixty-five square miles the topography is 
erosial. Loess hills predominate, but there are some areas covered with 
sand, and in some places weathered crags of Niagara limestone control 
the character of the topographic forms. — ^Geological Survey, Annual Re- 
port, Vol. VIII, p. 132-134, 1907. 



THE BACKBONE. 
By E. M. Cam, Editor and Lawyer. 

Scholarly geologists and noted writers have vied with each other in 
describing the charming bit of Iowa topography, located in Delaware 
County and widely known as the "Backbone." 

This noted place has a higher altitude than other locality in eastern 
Iowa. During the glacial period the "Backbone" stood up like an island 
in the midst of an ocean of ice. Its surface and the surface of the ad- 
jacent valleys are free from any trace of lowan drift. 

The view from the highest part of the ridge down the Maquoketa 
valley for twenty-five or thirty miles has few equals anywhere. It is 
pleasing and inspiring to see how the gateways of the prairies open to 
let the river come out. 

The tourist who visits Virginia is told that he should not return home 
until he has seen the Piedmont valley near Afton, a valley no more in- 
viting or beautiful to behold than the Maquoketa valley when viewed 
from the culminating point of the "Backbone." 

The "Backbone' ridge extends nearly north and south for a distance 
of about 200 rods. The river runs down on the west side, turns around 
the south end and flows back along the east side. 

The narrowest point of the ridge is about midway between its ex- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 49 

tremes. There the summit is restricted to a few yards, and the cliffs on 
each side have a sheer descent of fifty or sixty feet. 

The part of the ridge where the stone walls are most precipitous is 
not more than 100 feet in height, but upwards of another 100 feet are 
added by a gradual rise to the northern end. There the river turns away 
and its waters sparkle as they flow onward about two hundred feet be- 
low the summit. 

From the crest of the ridge the ground decends abruptly on each side, 
and where the cliffs are perpendicular, or nearly so, they are carved by 
processes of erosion and secular decay "into picturesque columns, towers, 
castles, battlements and flying buttresses." (See Iowa Geological Survey. 
Vol. 8, page 132.) 

The charm of these gray stone cliffs could not be increased by an in- 
crease in their height. Their scale is sufficiently heroic, and their de- 
tails sufficiently bold and rugged to readily difference them from all com- 
mon place scenery. 

The faces of the cliffs are half hidden by trees, clustering foliage and 
creeping vines that turn to flame with the first nipping frost of the 
autumn. 

The ridge is crowned with trees. Tall tapering pines, some of the last 
of their species, there contending for existence with the more hardy 
elms, oaks and maples. The southern portion of the ridge is broad and 
comparatively level. This small plateau is covered with many varieties of 
trees, so clustered and arranged that it would be difl3.cult for art to equal 
their restful charm. 

The Maquoketa in the vicinity of the "Backbone" is a spring fed 
stream. It flows over clean washed sand and gravel and its depths af- 
ford good trout and black bass fishing. 

But best of all are the pure waters which flow from the several springs 
at the "Backbone." An elderly gentleman in poor health, who resided 
near Independence was known to earnestly contend that many years had 
been added to his life by his camping annually in the valley on the west 
side of the "Backbone," and drinking the water from one of the springs 
in the vicinity. There may have been some foundation for the elderly 
gentleman's contention, for that valley is an exceptional place. The fol- 
lowing is an extract from page 169, Vol. S, Iowa Geological Survey: 

"In a sort of terrace at the bottom of the valley on the west side of the 
'Backbone' in section 16, weather-stained beds of the Buchanan stage oc- 
cur under beds of sand and gravel of more recent origin, the contrast 
between the older and newer portions of the terrace being very striking. 
The valley here is older than the Buchanan stage, older than the Kansan." 

It is, however, quite probable that the environment contributed more 
largely than the water to this invalid's improvement in health. 

There are no marsh lands near the "Backbone." It is surrounded by 
primeval forests where the thousand voices of nature soothe the senses 
and help to restore overtaxed nerves. At night he was lulled to sleep by 
the whisperings of the pine trees, and in the morning he doubtless forgot 
his cares and infirmities while watching the long high ridge curve its dark 
green back in the rising sun. 
•4 



50 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Speaking of public parks in country as well as city, Prof. Thos. H. 
Macbride, at one time president of the Iowa State University, made the 
following reference to the "Backbone": 

"The country people need the park just as much as the town folk and 
if they ask for it they will get it. There are plenty of bits of natural 
scenery and all that is needed is intelligent care and devotion to public 
use. Take for instance the Backbone in Delaware County, a long narrow 
ridge of limestone rock, ninety feet in height, washed on three sides by 
the clear waters and its crest crowned with a grove of native pines, be- 
neath whose shadows rise perennial springs — what more can you wish? 

"Chicago covets her bit of sand yonder; for the Backbone, Chicago 
would pay a million dollars, and would make it cost two millions more 
all for the pleasure of her people; and yet the good people of Delaware 
and Buchanan counties have not yet found out a way to preserve for 
themselves and their children this lovely natural park." 

Doubtless there are writers who could better describe this Delaware 
county natural park than Samuel Calvin, but doubtless no one ever did. 
Here is an extract from a quite lengthy illustrated article that was writ- 
ten by him and published in the July, 1896 number of the Midland 
Monthly: 

"The 'Backbone' is a fragment of unique topography that, like the 
Driftless Area, preserve the characteristics of the pre-glacial surface of 
the State. In fact, it is itself a driftless area, though rather small. The 
regions all around it are deeply covered with glacial deposits, but no 
drift is found upon the ridge or in the adjacent valleys. The integrity of 
the limestone towers and other erosive forms that would easily be toppled 
over are inconsistent with movements of glacier ice. The old ice sheet, 
for some reason, failed to spread its mantle of detritus over this region, 
and it is to this failure that citizens of the fertile midland are indebted 
for the preservation of the features on which depends its strange power 
of exciting in all intelligent visitors the sense of surprised delight. The 
beauty, the seclusion, the attractiveness of the place, are certain to be 
appreciated more and more as the years go by, provided short-sighted, 
unaesthetlc avarice does not transform its forest land into pastures, or 
does not attempt to "improve" it for the sake of converting it into a 
profitable summer resort. If it can only be let alone, it will remain a 
source of purest pleasure, to be particularly enjoyed by the tired worker, 
who has learned that occasional outings, where one may have direct con- 
tact with woods and ricks as Narute left them, are the most effective 
means for relaxation from the mental strain consequent on the condi- 
tions under whicli work of every kind must now be performed. These 
weather-beaten cliffs, the difficult and lonely paths, the odorous pines in 
which the breezes make perpetual music, tend to refresh and reinvigorate 
both mind and body, provided only, one is in sympathy with Nature un- 
improved by art, modestly picturesque." 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 51 

A NATURAL PARK SITE. 
By Mrs. W. B. Small. 

On different occasions during past years, I had tieard Independence 
friends refer to excursions made to an interesting spot not -far distant 
known as "The Devil's Backbone." From a meager description of the 
place, my mind had conjured up an immense, smooth, almost "unscalable" 
boulder which was curious but not beautiful. I had felt a curiosity con- 
cerning this "freak of nature," as I supposed it to be, and welcomed with 
delight the opportunity to visit the locality. 

We found the place in question to be located four or five miles south 
of Strawberry Point, and not on a main traveled road; but the trail leads 
through fields and up rough hills, and finally on to a high peninsula which 
is encircled by the Maquoketa river. The open space on the summit of 
this point of land makes a beautiful picnicing ground, and the lover of 
nature rejoices to see that this retreat is unspoiled by the hand of man; 
it is too far from the city and too inaccessible to attract the pop-corn 
vender or the summer resort proprietor. While our lunch was in course 
of preparation, some one discovered the trail to a spring of water and 
he also reported marvelous examples of erosion to be seen in the descent 
of the rocky hillside. In our further explorations on both sides of the 
tableland, we found delightful surprises and there was a continuous suc- 
cession of "ohs" and "ahs" from different members of the party. By the 
action of the water, great portions of rock have become detached from 
the main promontory, and these "detachments" have taken fascinating 
shapes, so that we found caves, rooms, and all sorts of enchanting nooks — 
topped by trees and edged with ferns and hairbells. The climax was 
reached in the eastern descent to the river; here. Nature has set aside 
a block of stone, and deftly chiseled a charming and complete room, 
where one can enter through the doorway and sit, as in a balcony, 
looking from the window upon the scene below. Tiny ferns and blos- 
soms decorate the roof, and a delicate vine trails past a bird's nest on 
the ledge above the doorway. Perched upon the hillside, high above 
the river, it reminds one of a tiny Swiss chalet, which might fittingly 
be called "Sylvia's retreat." In our prairie state, it is a distinct surprise 
to find such rocky promontories of seventy-five or a hundred feet in 
height and it is devoutly to be hoped that this paradise of the geologist 
and botanist may be preserved as a playground for Iowa's people. — Iowa 
Conservation, Vol. II, No. 1, p. 11. 



PROPOSED PARK AT BUCKINGHAM LAKE. 
By Seth Dean. 

I take it for granted that the head of every family is in favor of public 
parks as play grounds, but there may be honest difference of opinion about 
what is required to make a satisfactory park, but using my own judgment 
in selecting a suitable location the following considerations should be fac- 
tors in infiuencing my action, viz.: 

A tract well removed from the business centers, having a permanent 
lake or where a generous pond of fresh water can be deepened and en- 



52 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

larged if necessary to furnish boating and fishing pastime, bordered o^ 
at least two sides by a level beach or shore tract of sufficient area for 
street and cottages and other necessary concessionaries. 

Adjoining this level land should be a larger tract of hilly or rougher 
land that preferably should be partly forested and from the hilltops have a 
panoramic view of landscape stretching as a vista several miles, the more 
the better in different directions, and if natural springs or a permanent 
watercourse passes through or alongside this tract so much the better. 

The tract must be in a healthy locality and must be conveniently ac- 
cessible by rail, and by auto over the usual public highway system of the 
county. It should be so located that there is a sufficiently dense popula- 
tion that will be patrons to warrant the expenditure of a sum of money 
to purchase and put the tract in creditable shape in the first instance, 
and to provide sufficient revenue to maintain the park after it shall have 
been opened to the public. 

In presenting for your consideration the advantages of the Bucking- 
ham Lake tract located in Mills but bordering on the line between Mills 
and Fremont counties, I am showing you a tract that possesses all the 
factors of desirability I have set out in the opening paragraph. 

Consider first a lake bed of some 160 acres, originally part of the Mis- 
souri river but left a lake by a change in the river channel; this bed will 
require considerable dredging to create permanent depth of water suf- 
ficient to remain pure and healthy through the hot weather season and 
avoid freezing to the bottom in severe winters. Sufficient volume of flow 
from permanent springs will furnish water for the lake. 

Bordering the lake on the north and east is flat land of sufficient area 
for cottages, boat and bath houses, and the usual concessions. 

Bordering the lake on the north and east are the Missouri river bluffs, 
partly deforested, rising from the bottom land to heights of 150 to 300 
feet, with some steep, almost perpendicular face slopes and others more 
gentle, affording light mountain climbing to visitors seeking exercise. 
From the top of these peaks fine views are obtained extending from five 
to twenty miles in different directions, of hills and valleys, woods and 
farm lands, several towns and the Missouri river flood plain (2i/^ to 6 
miles wide with an occasional glimpse of the river water.) 

The area available for park purposes in this vicinity is practically un- 
limited. I have had in mind a park covering about one thousand acres, 
but it could easily be increased to double or four times that area and at 
this time prevailing prices for land in this locality are not high. 



NOTES ON BUCKINGHAM LAKE AREA- 

By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

In making a brief report on this region, let us consider the region 
from the following aspects: 

1. Its value from a scientific point of view. 

2. The historic aspects. 

3. The needs of the region from the recreational standpoint. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 53 

The region under consideration is similar from Hamburg to Sioux 
City, the steep hills, narrow valleys rising from the wide flood plains of 
the Missouri with its alluvial deposits and here and there sand dunes and 
small ancient channels of the stream, all of these a peculiar part of the 
region. The width of the flood plain varies from a little over two miles 
near Buckingham lake to more than ten miles in some places in the 
great valley. For much of the region the bottoms are located on the 
Iowa side of the river. No similar expanse in the United States con- 
tains so large an area of flat and extremely fertile agricultural soil. It 
is the only part of the southwestern parj; of Iowa where the corn crop 
was good this year. These bottoms, originally, contained a large num- 
ber of wild grasses like slough grass, tall blue stem, switch grass, etc. 
In the early days the whole region was a waving mass of wild grasses, 
as high as a horse, the paradise of the stockman. It was here where, 
in yet earlier days, previous to white settlements that the buffalo occurred 
in vast herds feeding on these nutritious grasses. 

The region between Hamburg and Sioux City presents a series of 
bluffs which are unique in the topography of the country. They occur to 
the south in Missouri, gradually becoming less marked. They are also 
quite conspicuous in Nebraska, but in many cases less marked. There 
are only a few places in the world where this typical Missouri loess is 
so developed. Its value for agricultural purposes has long been recog- 
nized. The apples and grapes grown in the region are famous and these 
crops have given fame to the region. The typical deposit of the region 
is known as Missouri loess which geologists like Calvin, Shimek and 
others tell us is a wind borne soil, the fine material coming from the 
west. This region is a classic one in the study of the fauna found in the 
loess. Certainly from a scientific standpoint some of this area should 
be set aside for future generations. There is no better place to be found 
for a study of the fauna and of the soil than the Buckingham area in 
Fremont and Mills counties. 

The plants of the tops of these loess bluffs are unique. They belong 
to the region west of the one hundredth meridian. Let me enumerate a 
few; the wiry drop seed grass, mesquite grass, Rocky mountain bee plant, 
small blue stem, snow on the mountain, stemless loco weed, the large 
blue flowered beard tongue, the Spanish bayonet or yucca, gum weed or 
grindelia, aplopappus, perennial ragweed, rush milkweed, milk vetch, 
two species of dalea, false mallow and the callirhoe. 

From the standpoint of the geographical distribution of plants there 
is no region in Iowa that presents such a sharp contrast between plains 
and prairie plants as this region. Standing on the tops of these hills a 
person feels that he is in the region of North Platte or McCook, Nebraska. 
You are surrounded by the fauna and flora of that region. There are 
comparatively few areas in the region in which there is any considerable 
body of timber. The dry winds of the summer greatly influence the 
growth of trees. The west and southwest slopes of the hills are entirely 
devoid of timber, while the east and north slopes contain the following 
trees: Basswood, red oak and black oak, honey locust, slippery elm, 
hackberry, cottonwood, iron wood, American elm, red bud, coffee bean. 



54 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

box elder and soft maple. There are also such shrubs as coral berry, 
snowberry, sumach, wild grape, poison ivy, Virginia creeper and staff 
tree. 

One of the most interesting places in the region is Happy Hollow, west 
of Tabor, the small stream emptying into Buckingham lake. This is a 
narrow canyon with steep slopes covered with trees and herbaceous plants. 
It is an interesting place and is worthy of preservation. The lower parts 
of the hills facing the Missouri here have an outcrop of limestone, which 
became exposed when the Platte river forced the Missouri to skirt the 
bluffs on the Iowa side of the river. This limestone is rich in fossils. 
A considevable area, five or six miles, has this limestone rock exposed. 
There are few places along the Missouri river from Hamburg to the Big 
Sioux river where limestone is thus exposed. Nature has done here on a 
large scale what the human hand could not do. A number of interesting 
plants occur on these limestone rocks, like ferns, violets, spring beauty, 
etc. The lover of plants will always delight to roam over these rocky 
woods. 

The Buckingham Lake is on the flat immediately adjacent to the hills. 
It once covered a much larger area but owing to the silt carried from the 
hills, has been filled up. With a little dredging work and diverting the 
channel, a nice little lake, covering between 40 and 50 acres, may be 
made and such a lake is urgently needed by the people of the region. 

Not much can be said about the historic aspects of the region. Some 
things, however, may be noted. There are a series of fine Indian mounds 
on the crest of one of the hills and correspond to some mounds on an-, 
other hill in Nebraska. There are numerous old Indian trails over the 
hills. There is also much evidence of old buffalo trails, which later 
were used by cattle. Mr. Harlan and Seth Dean will give this matter more 
in detail. 

We must provide the region with some recreation places. I am told 
that the people of Glenwood, Hamburg and other points, if they want a 
little boating must go to Council Bluffs. These people are entitled to 
some consideration and we should provide, not only the unique hills and 
wooded canyons, but a lake where the family can spend a day in recrea- 
tion. Southwestern Iowa is not provided with beautiful and scenic places, 
such as we have in northeastern Iowa or in the lake region. There are 
many places in the state that far surpass the Buckingham region in 
beauty, but none surpass it in scientific interest. The proposed state park 
in the region can be made really beautiful while nature has not given 
the native material, except the hills and canons. Man can so provide and 
improve it in places as to make it worth while. We must bear in mind 
that thousands of persons live in the region, who really do not have an op- 
portunity of going elsewhere. We need some uplifting force for this 
community. The area to be included in this state park should be not 
less than 1,200 acres, which would include Buckingham lake, the wooded 
ravines, the^ loess bluffs and the limestone out crops. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 55 

THE LOESS AREA OF WESTERN IOWA. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The loess mounds though made of a tenacious clay show no springs or 
running water anywhere except in the wooded cannons at the base of the 
hills. The vegetation from early spring to fall is a succession of bloom, 
beginning with such plants as: pasque flower (Anemone patens var Nut- 
tallians) paint brush (Castilleia sessiliflora), puccoon (Lithospermum 
angustifolium) stemless loco (Oxytropis Lambertii) hairy puccoon (Litho- 
spermum caneuscens). 

Another common plant over the hillside is Bastard toad flax (Comandra 
umbellata). Three weeks later the most conspicuous plant over the loess 
mound is snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) which is most abund- 
ant near the timber line, encroaching upon the mounds. The snowberry 
is a forerunner of shrubs and trees at the edge of the loess mounds. 
Along with it, frequently in great abundance, is the hoary vervain (Ver- 
bena stricta) and the pomme de terre (Psoralea argophylla), the latter 
with long roots. The milk rush (Lygodesmia juncea) a typical xerophytic 
plant, is extremely common, occurring not only in the vertical clay banks 
but over the entire mound. 

Near the tops of the mounds Aplopappus (Aplopappus spinulosus) 
forms broad masses. Quite ^videly distributed over these loess mounds 
we have the dalea (Dalea laxiflora and the D. alopecuroides), the for- 
mer, with roots several feet long is particularly well adapted to xerophytic 
conditions, the small teretish leaves make it admirably fitted for the 
conditions existing upon the mounds. Along with it we find the prairie 
clover (Petalostemon multiflorus) both belonging to the typical plants 
of the plains of Nebraska and Colorado. 

Of the early composite flowering plants upon the loess mounds the 
purple coneflower (E'chinacea angustifolia) and black-eyed susan (Rude- 
beckia hirta) are more or less common over the entire loess mounds. 
The ox-eye (Heliopsis scabra) is common on the borders along with 
the snowberry .(Symphoricarpos), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus) and ver- 
vain. (Verbena). 

A partial list of the plants of the Loess Bluffs and their origin. 

W=Western. 

S=Southern. 

E=:Eastern. 

Aplopappus (Aplopappus spinulosus) (W) 

Milk rush (Lygodesmia juncea) (W) 

Iron weed (Vernonia Neveboracensis) (S) 

Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) (S) 

Orange boneset (Kulinia cupdtorioides) (E) 

Blazing star (Liatris punctata) (W) 

Gum weed (Grindelia squarrosa) (W) 

Golden rod (Solidafjo speciosa) (E) 

Golden rod (Solidago rupestris) (W) 

Golden rod (Solidago rigida) (E) 

Aster (Aster ohlongifolius) (E) 

Aster (Aster sericeus) (E) 

Aster (Aster multitlorus) (E) 

Everlasting (Antennaria plantaginifolia) (E) 

Compass plant (Silphium laciniatuni) (E & S) 



56 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Marsh elder (Iva xanthiifolia) (W) 

Perennial ragrweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) (W) 

Purple cone flower (Echinacea anoustiiolia) (E & S) 

Black-eyed Susan (Rudheckia liirta) (W) 

Prairie cone flower (Lepachys pinnata) (W) 

Prairie sun flower (Helianthus Maximiliani) (W) 

Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) 

Fetid marigold (Dysodia chrysanthemoides) (W) 

Western thistle (Cirsium canescens) (W) 

Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleoine integrifoliaj (W) 

Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) (W) 

Flax (Linum rigidum) (W) 

Wild clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) (W) 

Dalea (Dalea laxiflora) (W) 

Missouri golden rod (SoUdago MissouriensisJ (W) 

Whorled milkweed (Asclepias' tuberosa) 

Horse mint (Monarda fistulosa) (W & E) 

Pomm de Terre (Psoralea argophylla) (W) 

Silky Psoralea (Psoralea argophylla) (W) 

Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium canescens) (W & E) 

Field sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) (E) 

Prairie clover (Petalostemon violaccum) (W) 

Stemle«3S Loco weed (Oxytropis Lambertii) (W) 

Partridge pea (Cassia Chamaecrista) (W & E) 

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) (W) 

Flea bane (Erigeron stringosus) (E & W) 

Sun flower (Helianthus rigidus) (W) 

Prairie dandelion (Troximon cuspidatum) (W) 

Wild four o'clock (Oxybaphus hirsutuS) (W) 

Spurge (Euphorbia maculata) 

Spurge (Euphorbia hexagona) 

Spurge (Euphorbia heterophylla) 

Canadian blue grass (Poa comprcssa) (E) 

Prairie grass (Panicum Wilcoxianwn) (W) 

Low blue joint (Andropogon scoparius) (W) 

Sand grass (Calamovilfa longifolia) 

Blue lettuce (Lactuca pulchella) (W) 

Lobelia (Lobelia spicata) (E) 

Whorled milk weed (Asclepias verticillata) (western form) 

Milk weed (Acerates viridiflora) 

Sweet William (Phlox pilosa) (E) 

Hairy puccoon (Lithospermum cancnscens) (E) 

Puccoon (Lithospermum angustifolium) (E) 

Beard tongue (Pentstemon grandiflorus) (E) 

Paint brush (Castilleia sessiliflora) 

Hoary vervain (Verbena stricta) (W) 

Mint (Hedeoma hispida) (W) 

Blue sage (Salvia lanceolata) (W) 

Skull cap (Scutellaria parvula) (W) 

Wild four o'clock (Oxybaphus angustif alius) (W) 

Slender door yard knot weed (Polygonum ramosissimum) (S) 

Snow on the mountain (Euphorbia marginata) (W) 

Flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) (E) 

Prairie willow (Salix humilis) (E) 

Spanish bayonet (Yucca angustifolia) (W) 

Camas plant (Zygadenus elegans) (W) 

Dropseed grass (Sporobolus cuspidatus) (W) 

Wild rye (Elymus robustus) (W) 

Larkspur (Delphinium asureum) (W) 

Western corydalis (Corydalis aurea var occidentalis) (W) 

Western wall flower (Erysimv,m asperum) (W) 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 57 

Bird foot violet (Viola pedata) (W) 

Flax (Linum sulcatum) (W) 

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus ovalus) (W) 

Hosackia (Hosaskia Purshiana) (W) 

Prairie clover (Petalostemum multiflorus) (W) 

Needle grass (Stipa spartea) (W) 

Lead plant (Amorpha canescensj (W) 

Wind flower (A7iemone cyltndrica) (W & E) 

Purple sorrel (Oxalis violacea) (E) 

Sumach (Rhus glabra) (E) 

Milk vetch (Astragalus carycocarpos) (W) 

Wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) (W) 

Five finger (Potentilla arguta) (E & W) 

Houstonia (Iloustonia angustifolia) (E) 

Common sunflower (Uelianthus annuus) (W) 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 

Morning glory (Convolvulus sepium), hairy form (W) 

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) (Cos) 

Spurge (Euphorbia dictyosperma) 

Spurge (Euphorbia Geyeri) (W) 

Blue grass (Poa pratensis) (Cos) 

Tickle grass (Panicum capillare) (E & W) 

Side oats (Bouteloua racemosa) (E & W) 

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum) (W) 

Dropseed grass (Sporobolus cryptandrous) (E & W) 

Missouri golden rod (Solidago Missoicriensis) 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 

Catchfly (Silena antirrhina) 

Wild four o'clock (Oxybaphus angustifolius) 

Small fox glove (Gerardia aspera) 

Prairie sunflower (Uelianthus Maxiviiliani) 

Aster (Aster multiflorus) 

Sunflower (Helianthus rigidus) 

Blue sage (Salvia lanceolata) 

Narrow fox glove (Gerardia tenuiflora) 

These are some of the common types over the entire loess mounds. 
The western blazing star (Liatris punctata) with its deep straight roots 
has enabled the plant to adapt itself to the droughty conditions which 
frequently prevail in the region. The Spanish bayonet (Yucca angusti- 
folia) common in sections of Nebraska, the Dakotas and Kansas is a 
rare plant in this region, although becoming more common northward 
in the vicinity of Sioux City. It is confined to the steep banks, well up 
near the summits of the mounds. 

The mesophytic flora is gradually encroaching upon the xerophytic, 
and as important forerunners for the mesophytic vegetation several of the 
shrubs like Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) play a conspicuous part. East- 
ward in northeastern and central Iowa the hazelnut (Corylus Americana) 
is the chief factor in changing the character of the vegetation. 

The amount of precipitation collected for a series of years indicates 
that this region is much drier than in the drainage east of the Mis- 
souri river basin. 



58 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

GEOLOGY OF MILLS COUNTY. 
By John A. Udden, Geologist. 

The uplands consist of an old drift plain, modified by erosion and by 
the deposition on its surface of a blanket of loess. But little is left of 
the old surface of the flat drift plain. The only remnants left are some 
flat strips of land on the highest divides farthest away from the largest 
streams. These strips are usually less than one-fourth of a mile in 
width, often much less. The widest flats seen were between the head- 
waters of Mill creek and Rock creek in Locust Grove township in Fre- 
mont county; in the vicinity of the town of Tabor; on the divide be- 
tween Mud creek and Silver creek southeast of Silver City; on the 
divides north of Glenwood, north of Emerson and north and south of 
Hillsdale. The total area of these upland strips do not cover more than 
at most a few square miles of land in the two counties. 

Excepting these flat areas the divides everywhere consist of ridges, 
more or less convex in cross sections. These are broadest farthest away 
from the principal drainage basins and as we approach the margins of 
the uplands they become more and more contracted and narrow. In 
the bluffs of the Missouri they are frequently only three or four feet 
across, with a steep slope on either side. The average elevation of these 
summits of the uplands for the two counties is about 1,170 feet above sea 
level, and it varies a hundred feet above and below this figure. The 
eastern two-thirds of the uplands in this area fall about thirty or fifty 
feet below the average, while the highest divides approaching the Mis- 
souri river bluffs rise above it in places as much as ninety feet. From 
north to south they have a general descent of about a foot and one- 
third to the mile. 

By far the greater area of the uplands is formed of slopes which ex- 
tend on either side from the creeks and ravines up to the crest of the 
ridges and flats on the divides. Farthest away from the larger drainage 
lines these slopes have a gentle grade and even near some of the larger 
creeks they may be a half mile in length and 100 or 125 feet in height. 
But near the Missouri bottoms they become more steep and frequently 
rise at a high angle to 150 or even 200 feet above the bottoms. Along 
these bluffs they are sometimes too steep to be tilled. Elsewhere they 
constitute the main farm land in the region. The distance from the 
foot of the lowest to the top of the highest slopes embraces a vertical 
range of about 360 feet. 

There is no doubt that small patches of Cretaceous deposits lie under 
the drift in several places on the uplands, where they cannot now be 
seen. Sand and soft "sand-rock" have been found under the boulder 
clay a mile east of Emerson. Another well in the west bluffs of the 
Nishnabotna west of Henderson penetrated some gravel which may have 
been of the same age. On the eroded surface of the limestone in the 
quarry at Henton there are seen some disintegrated lumps of a brown 
sandstone which resembles the Cretaceous in appearance. It contains 
almost exclusively well rounded pebbles of quartz and chert. Blocks of 
the same conglomerate, always highly ferruginous, occur associated with 
small exposures of Coal Measure rocks two miles farther south and have 
been again noted on top of these older rocks east of Wabonsie lake in 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 59 

section 23, Scott township, Fremont county. The clay which fills the 
caverns in the limestone south of Malvern is probably also of the same 
age, and the same may be said of a highly disintegrated, ferruginous and 
soft clayey rock resting on the eroded surface of the Coal Measure lime- 
stone southeast of the center of section 13, Tp. 67 N., R. XLII W. 

While the age of the small outcrops enumerated above must be re- 
garded as uncertain, the Dakota sandstone can be positively identified 
in two exposures in Mills county. One of these is in the low slope of the 
east bluffs of the Nishnabotna a little south of the center of the north- 
east quarter of section 22, two miles south of Henderson, and the other 
is half a mile distant, northeast of the southeast corner of section 14. 
Sandstone was quarried for many years at the former place, but the 
quarry is now partly filled. The face of the quarry appears to have been 
about ten feet high. The rock is a gray sandstone in heavy ledges, in 
places yellow or even brown. It breaks with equal readiness in all di- 
rections. Where the rock is hardest, the sand grains are held together 
by an opaque, white, thin layer of silecious cement which apparently 
is a product of interstitial leaching and redeposition. The solvent effect 
of underground waters are seen also in the absence of the ferruginous 
cementing material which is common in the Dakota sandstone else- 
where, and which makes the sandstone in section 14 almost black. In 
the quarry in section 22, the yellow or red oxides of iron color the rock 
in places where perculating water has not had free passage, as along 
shaly seams and in concretions. At the base of the quarries the sand- 
stone rests on gray clay, or Is interbedded with this, and on the faces of 
some ledges there are marks which show how the two kinds of sediments, 
while yet in a plastic slate, have been worked into each other and broken 
into lumps which have slid into new positions, evidently under pressure 
of superincumbent sediments. 

The sediments are of the littoral kind: mud, sand and gravel alterna- 
ting. It is the first deposit of the advancing sea. The gravel is well 
worn, and consists largely of the most resistant material of the under- 
lying Coal Measure rocks. No limestone fragments were seen, but in 
one block were some angular cavities which might have contained chips 
of such rock, afterward removed by solution. A study of several lots of 
pebbles of various sizes show that the larger ones are mostly made up 
of chert from the Coal Measures and this often contains silicified frag- 
ments of fossils. Most of the finer material is common quartz, and may 
be seen in the following table, which is based upon observations of sev- 
eral hundred pebbles and grains of the conglomerates and sandstones. 
Evidently the larger fragments are nearly all derived -from the local 
rocks, the more resistant material of the Missourian. 

The geographical condition under which the Missourian deposits were 
laid down are to be made out from the physical character of the beds 
themselves as well as from the plant and animal remains which they 
contain. These indicate off-shore conditions, such as prevail on a con- 
tinental shelf, alternating with more shallow and less open waters. A 
considerable part of the shales contain fine, arenaceous material such as 
is common in the deposits out on a continental shelf. The limestones in- 



60 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

dicate a still more open sea. The coal seams and the black clayey shales, 
on the other hand, were laid down in lagoons near the shore. Plant 
remains are rather scarce even in connection with the coal seams, which 
themselves have a small development. The presence of Fusulina of 
Ammodiscus, of other foraminifera and no less the abundance of echi- 
noderms and especially crinoid remains, testifies to the presence of 
deeper waters at intervals. Below is given a classified list of the fossils 
noted. — Geology of Mills and Fremont Counties, Iowa Geological Survey, 
pp. 127-8, pp. 162-3 and pp. 159-0. 



REPORT ON LOWER DES MOINES AREA. 
By E. R. Harlan, Curator Historical Department. 

I wish respectfully to advocate, for the southeastern portion of the 
state, the following: 

The bed of the Des Moines River from its mouth to Raccoon Forks is 
the property of the United States Government or of the State of Iowa. 

The lands adjacent to the Des Moines River are held under govern- 
ment designations, the owners generally not claiming though often using, 
the lands between the meander lines and the water in the river. All 
such lands should eventually be reclaimed or acquired where possible by 
the state, the entire length of the river, from the Minnesota to the Mis- 
souri boundaries. 

For much of the distance between the region of Belfast, in Lee County' 
and Eldon in Wapello County, there are maintained good highways on 
one or both banks of the river and upon or near the meander lines; 
wherever the roads are far from the river, it is because of the rugged- 
ness of the country and banks. 

The original forest growth of the bottoms and the hills along this sec- 
tion of the river has, in naany places, been removed, but there is, 
throughout the greater part, a good variety and good specimens of all 
trees native to the region. Young growth, in many places, is replacing 
denuded parts, and replanting is practicable in all. 

The acquisition by the state of the banks and adjacent grounds for 
study and recreation and their adaptation to that purpose, would be 
merely a matter of acquiring the slender strip of ground along or 
through which the river and the roads run. and then widening spaces 
which are not expensive but of highly interesting historic, scenic and 
scientific character. The least valuable in money of any lands in the re- 
gion are best suited to the eventual reproduction of such plant growth 
and rights of way as will make of them most valuable places for recrea- 
tion and study by the present and future generations. 

Practically every prominent point of land abutting the river is topped 
by mounds of prehistoric origin, many of them as yet unvandalized. 
These are usually to be found where the natural ruggedness has. pre- 
vented the building of roads. They are in the best places for resting, 
camping and sight seeing, are ample in number and so vary in position 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 61 

and accessibilitj^ that, with the guidance of maps or charts, the student 
of Iowa's archaeological remains can be easily and inexpensively afforded 
the most valuable field work. 

The rocks of the region present an interesting and valuable field for 
study and for scenic enjoyment, and are always within a few rods of the 
places for eventual road construction, and* they are of the best quality 
for that use. 

The water features are by nature limited to the stream itself and ad- 
jacent springs. By eventually damming the affluents of the river, arti- 
ficial reservoirs for industrial or for pleasure purposes are easily possible. 

The scenic and scientific character of the area then, though above but 
barely touched, would be sufficient to warrant the acquisition of the 
necessary lands to make of this stretch of the Des Moines River a public 
park. 

But neither the scenic nor scientific qualities of this area are its sole 
consideration. If those were not respectable qualities, the historic char- 
acter of that stretch of- the lower Des Moines would, if understood, de- 
mand that the grounds should be rendered more easily accessible, and 
that the vanishing information concerning it should be fixed in texts on 
tablets and maps. Relatively it is as interesting as the Hudson and 
more romantic than the lower James. 

This stretch of the Des Moines River crosses that part of the state 
known as "The Black Hawk Purchase." It is the strip of land ap- 
proximately forty miles wide west of the Mississippi River which was 
wrested from the Indians after the Black Hawk War in 1832, and to the 
west of which they were required to remain for the security of the Illi- 
nois people. The strip was retained by the Government as part com- 
pensation for its expenses in that war. It was the first of Iowa lands 
opened for settlement. The part of the Black Hawk purchase in Lee 
County which would be cut off if the Missouri boundary ran across the 
Des Moines River and on to the Mississippi, is "The Half Breed Tract" 
where land titles remained in litigation until long after the Civil War. 
Hence settlers advanced up the Des Moines River to and above Farm- 
ington where they had no disturbance from faulty title, continuing on up 
the Des Moines River to a place below Eldon where the west line of the 
forty miles strip separated white and Indian, and Indian rights remained 
until they were extinguished on up to Ottumwa and west to the meridian 
of Knoxville. 

The Des Moines River at that time was the principal prospect for 
transportation to and from that interior of what, even then was known 
would be the richest part of the proposed state. Awaiting the opening 
of the new country, this stretch of the Des Moines River became the 
most thickly populated and most prosperous of any region of equal area 
in Iowa. More "cities and towns" were "founded" here and are now 
gone than still remain. Upon the opening for settlement of the further 
western Iowa, the group of enterprising people which had rushed in be- 
tween Belfast and Eldon hurried on, and in effect "expanded," leaving 
their name and character in the lower Des Moines valley, yet became fac- 
tors, often features, in almost every city and state west that had begin- 
nings between 1840 and 1858. 



62 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The lower Des Moines was like a pool of excellent stock which had 
trickled from the east on account of hard times In 1837 and other con- 
siderations, and from the south on account of slavery and poor prospects 
for better homes. This accumulation of good character in the lower Des 
Moines remained until the removal of the obstruction of Indian posses- 
sions, immediately to the west, in 1846. When that was released the 
population rushed as if by gravity to Ottumwa and west in Iowa. The 
reg-ion was scoured out by the emigration to California in the gold days 
of 1849 to 1856 and actually sprinkled the whole west with its repre- 
sentatives. 

This is the key to the remarkable fact that more than seventy men 
and women, once of national reputation have lived in this region, and for 
the characterization by the late George G. Wright as "The Keosauqua 
Group of Famous Men," later corrected and expanded by the writer as the 
"Van Buren County Group of Famous Men." 

Among the facts and names worthy to be observed in the history of 
the river ascending from Croton to Eldon, are the following: 

CROTON — Site of one of the dams and locks of the navigation era. 
A hostile cannon ball fell here, the only one on Iowa soil and the one that 
reached farthest north of any in the Rebellion. It was fired in the Battle 
of Athens, Missouri. 

SALUBRIA— Site of the Free Thought Colony founded by Abner Knee- 
land, of Boston, 1838; his residence is still in good preservation, though 
erected in 1840. Mr. Kneeland was the last man imprisoned in America 
for blasphemy, he having been among the first to question the divinity 
of Jesus Christ from a Boston pulpit. He mortgaged his library in 1839 
for two hundred dollars ($200.00), establishing the rank of his collection 
of books in this then sparsely settled region. 

FARMINGTON— First County Seat of Van Buren County, point of as- 
sembling of Iowa Militia for battle against Missourians in the "Missouri 
Boundary War," 1836. John F. Dillon opened his office here as a phy- 
sician but decided to become a lawyer. Numerous excellent buildings ex- 
tant since 1840. Across the river is "Big Duck Marsh" and "Big Duck 
Creek." 

PLYMOUTH — An extinct town adjacent to Farmington, once -the site 
of a lock and dam for navigation and of a large flouring mill. 

PALASTINE — South of the river; an extinct town extensively ex- 
ploited in early days as a prospective city. No vestige of it remains. 

"M'CRARY RESIDENCE"— South side. A conspicuous pre-war brick 
dwelling facing the river. 

BONAPARTE — Site of a lock and dam in navigation system, and of 
the Meek Mills which supplied Iowa and the west with woolens and wool 
products from 1837 to 1870, and with saw-mill and grist-mill products 
much of that time. The dam was the subject of the famous "fish-way" 
case. Excellent old buildings. Charles E. Pickett was born here. 

NAPOLEON — Extinct town across the river south of Bonaparte. 

BENTONSPORT— Site of dam and lock. Once exensive mills, includ- 
ing paper mill which made the paper for the Gate City and other Iowa 
journals, 1856-1866. Once home of Captain Hancock and other early Iowa 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 63 

legislators, and of Seth Richards and other noted merchants. Resi- 
dence in youth of U. S. Senator W. E. Mason, U. S. Senator William A. 
Clark, Secretary of the Interior George W. McCrary, the author, Albert 
Bigelow Paine, Judge H. C. Caldwell and other notables. Excellent resi- 
dences of different eras; some constructed by expert Mormon builders in 
1846 who later achieved fame for Salt Lake City through their construc- 
tion of the Tabernacle, its organ and of the Temple. 

VERNON — Opposite Bentonsport; residence of Gideon S. Bailey who 
once chose the marshalship of the U. S. District Court rather than the 
Governorship of Iowa Territory. 

LEXINGTON — Extinct town near the mouth of Rock Creek; a noted 
rallying point in earliest days for claim hunters and adventurers. The 
birthplace of Governor Ross of Texas. 

ROCK CREEK — Flows into the Des Moines where the Des Moines re- 
turns from the Ox Bow to its general southeast course, forming a ridge 
from which was quarried stone first used in the present Capitol, but later 
condemned and removed. 

COLUMBUS — Up the river from Rock Creek; a I'ival of Lexington and 
early home of Governor Stanard, of Missouri. 

RAPIDS — In the river which Missouri claimed was the one intended 
in the Missouri constitution to describe its northern boundary. 

DES MOINES CITY— Rival of Port Oro but combined therewith and 
renamed Keosauqua. 

KEOSAUQUA — Famous from its foundation as a seat of progress and 
influence in Iowa and National affairs. Once the residence of more men 
of note than any other American town of its population. Earliest of ex- 
isting court houses of Iowa, in continuous use from 1842 to present time. 
Residences of extraordinary interest for historical association. First 
bridge across the Des Moines River was erected here and that now in 
use being older than any other. A dam, lock, steamboat landing and 
power mill were erected here. 

PLEASANT HILL — Now South Keosauqua; prosperous in old ferry 
days. The hill affords one of the famous scenic surprises along the lower 
Des Moines. 

PITTSBURG — Originally Rising Sun, a famous ferry-crossing in Cali- 
fornia travel days. Noted milling and distillery town. 

CHEQUEST CREEK— A beautiful stream. The Chequest stone quar- 
ries were near here and it was on this Iowa stone in the Washington 
monument that Enoch Eastman's words were carved — "Iowa, her affec- 
tions like her rivers of her borders, flo^v to an inseparable UNION." 

OLD CHURCH TREE— Above Chequest Creek, the great elm where the 
first assemblage west of the Des Moines, in what is now Iowa, was held 
for the worship of Almighty God. 

FOX ISLAND— Noted fishing and hunting. 

LICK CREEK — A most picturesque stream puts in here. 

KILBOURNE— Once Philadelphia, early trading town and site of In- 
dian camp. On opposite bank was a trading house of the American Fur 
Company. For a mile upstream and down stream, the bluffs are beau- 
tiful in every season of the vpar. 



64 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

DOUDS-LBANDO — Hyphenated rival towns with the most interesting 
early history and traditions. Douds was formerly Alexandra, lies to the 
north; Leando formerly Portland,, to the south. 

SELMA— Took the trade from lowaville, immediately above, when the 
railroad superseded the river and stage coach. Formerly Independent. 
Site of Saylor Cabin. 

lOWAVILLE — Town upon site of famous Indian battle; stood against 
the west boundary of the Black Hawk Purchase. Extensive trade with 
the Indians. Only one of its houses remains. 

BLACK HAWK — Founded and promoted by Andrew J. Davis, later the 
Butte, Montana, millionaire, lies south of lowaville; site of the Davis 
distillery and of his residence, the latter still standing. A steamboat was 
built here in 1843. 

IOWAVILLE--DITCH— Constructed from Avery Spring to Des Moines 
River across the Indian battle field. Hundreds of Indian bones were 
thrown up when the ditch was dug. 

AVERY SPRING — Is a limitless water supply from the hillside, for- 
merly beautifully environed. 

THE INDIAN BONES — Have been noticed in the soil of the battle- 
field. Northeast of the place, on a rise toward the hills, are the burial 
grounds of the pioneer families of Jordans, Nelsons, Hinkles and their 
compeers. Also the grave of "Patriarch" Ashael, brother of Joseph 
Smith, founder of Mormonism. On the hill, almost immediately beyond 
the cemetery and crowning the hill are some half dozen conspicuous 
mounds of the earliest era of human life in this region. 

THE JORDAN HOMESTEAD— Near the grave site of Black Hawk and 
the Stump House, half a mile north of Selma, are notable houses. 

THE MOUND — Where the Indian racers encountered defeat. It is the 
last point of interest before reaching Eldon. South of the river between 
Eldon and Selma is of superbly wild beauty. 

ELDON — At the upper end of Indian bottom and end of present pro- 
posed section of proposed park. 

Returning to Selma and looking up the river, the whole field of battle 
between the Iowa tribe and the Sacs and Foxes which took place in 1822. 
is to be seen. It was the ancient home of the Iowa tribe. The Sacs and 
Foxes came from their ancient home on Rock River, Illinois, crept to the 
hill-tops bounding the Iowa prairie on the north, waited for the Iowa men 
to go to the mound near Eldon, to race horses, then rushed between the 
latter and their camp of women and children. Black Hawk second in 
command, directed the assault on the camp of women and children, who, 
like the men, were nearly all exterminated. Black Hawk enjoyed good 
fortune until he was defeated by the U. S. soldiei-s in the Blackha"'k 
War and at "Bad Axe" was thrown "forty miles west" of the Mississippi. 
He chose this site of his earlier triumph as his last home. Here he 
lived until 1838, died and was buried. His grave-site is in a cultivated 
field some distance from the river, but his body was stolen, the skeleton 
mounted by a phrenologist for exhibition purposes, but was later sur- 

The novelty of this proposed park area, extending some fifty miles and 
the land features amounting to mere threads occasionally widened for 




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PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 65 

sufficient reasons, will at first strike the attention of the inexperienced 
or thoughtless as of less interest than if the same area of water were In 
the form of a circular lake and the land were its fringed frame. On sec- 
ond thought it will be seen that the very attenuated character of the 
park, with its parallel roadways already in use and well maintained, 
crossed every few miles by roads from remotest parts, affords a pe- 
culiarly ready and pleasant access to the longest drives by a larger num- 
ber of men, women, and children than would be true if the same features 
were differently disposed. Instead of a center, there is an axis of interest 
leading to many and widely scattered population groups. 



THE LOWER DE9 MOINES AREA. 
By L, H. Pammel, Botanist. 

As a member of this Board, I made an investigation in Lee, Wapello, 
Davis and Van Buren Counties for a proposed state park. The writer 
on previous occasions visited Van Buren County and adjacent counties 
in pursuit of the study of the native forest trees. A detailed study of 
these was made more than a year ago, and with Professor McDonald, a 
paper was prepared on the foiest trees of the region. It occurred to 
me every time I visited the region that the region between Eldon and 
Belfast would offer a splendid site for a state park, not only for its scenic 
beauty, but for the many scientific features of the region. The exposed 
rock are of a particular interest to the geologist, the effect of the Kansas 
drift and subsequent erosions into sharp valleys present a splendid illus- 
tration of the type of topography in the Kansas drift area of Iowa. The 
region contains a large number of interesting trees, a blending of the 
trees of the north and the south. The following trees are abundant in 
the region: 

White, black, shingle, bur, red, chestnut, black Jack, pin and post oak. 
No single area in Iowa has as many species of oak. There are also 
some magnificent specimens of sycamore, basswood, American elme, slip- 
pery-elm, hackberry, hard and soft maple, honey locust, coffee tree, red- 
bud, haws, wild crab, choke cherry, black cherry, cottonwood, butternut, 
red mulberry, black walnut, two kinds of shell bark hickory, and on 
the lower reaches of the Des Moines, some pecan, four ashes, the 
green, red, white and square stemmed ash. I am safe in saying also that 
no other region in the state has so many interesting shrubs. I may 
mention the paw-paw, trumpet creeper, three suraacks, several dogwoods, 
etc. Many southern herbaceous plants come into Iowa along the Des 
Moines. The list is a long one and need not be enumerated. I am also 
safe in saying that the number of species found here is larger over a 
given area than in any other section of the state. The largest sycamores 
and hackberries, in the state, occur in this region of Iowa. I saw a 
hackberry at least three and one-half feet in diameter on the Des Moines 
below Farmington. I think it was the largest hackberry that I have 
ever seen. It is surely worth while to keep some of the trees that run 
in age from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and seventy- 
five years, trees that were good sized when Pike made his memorable 
trip up the Mississippi. 



66 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

At the present time, for much of the way between Eldon and Belfast, 
there is a highway on both the left and the right bank of the Des Moines 
River, excepting at such points where it would be difficult to construct 
a highway. There is a body of land varying all the way from fifty to 
three hundred feet running to the highway. The state should have a 
right to this land. I presume the United States Government has kept 
its right to this property, except as it was given to certain individuals 
to improve the area for mill and dam sites. Now it would seem that 
the state should acquire title to this land, if need be, by Congressional 
action. The proposed highway from Keokuk to Des Moines is nearly 
a reality and the state parkway would add greatly to its value as a high- 
way. There would be added to this area also the width of the highway, 
making an additional sixty feet or more. The state would then own for 
park purposes, a considerable patch of land along the Des Moines. Ad- 
ditional land, 80 to 100 acres in extent, should be acquired by purchase 
at various points along the river, land which is not valuable for agri- 
cultural purposes but would be ideal for the state park, Mt. Zion, Douds- 
Leando, Kilbourne, Pittsburg, Keosauqua, Bentonsport, Bonaparte, Farm- 
ington, Croton, Hinsdale and Eldon. In addition, small wooded areas 
should also be purchased, a few acres in extent, near the outlets of small 
streams, situated between the cities. This would give opportunity for 
those using the highway to stop for recreation. 

At Croton and other points there should be purchased parts of the 
deep canyon to preserve the native, rare plants. Below Croton, for 
instance, it would be well to purchase all of the crest of the hill as there 
are some historic Indian relics in this region. The whole area to be 
purchased, from Eldon to Belfast, would not exceed twelve hundred acres 
and would give southeastern Iowa a rare opportunity for recreation and 
park purposes, so far as the natural areas are concerned the scenic, 
scientific and historic features are unsurpassed in southeastern Iowa. 
It would seem to me that this area has a rare historic interest. Much 
of the early Iowa history was made in this section of the state. Per- 
haps no other part of Iowa has produced so many great men of the 
nation and state as this small region. We have here a rare opportunity 
of preserving for the future generations, the growth of building opera- 
tions in the state, from the log cabins, of which a few still remain, to 
the Virginia spacious house and its fire-place to the architecture of the 
Civil War period and the growth since that time. A few of the old mills 
and stores might be added to the list. It appears to me that some of 
these places might be obtained by the state and included in the state 
park. I feel sure that these buildings can be obtained at a very low 
figure and, in some cases would be given to the state. 

Mr. Harlan has so forcefully expressed the value of this area from 
the historic standpoint, that his report should be made an important 
part of our recommendations to the Executive Council. I concur most 
heartily with his recommendations. 

The Farmington area and lake investigated is on the west side of the 
Des Moines. In order to reach it one must cross the Des Moines river 
at Farmington, going down the Des Moines and crossing Indian Creek 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 67 

and then going over a hill and for a quarter of a mile beyond. How- 
ever, I might, in this connection, say that another road leading from 
Farmington goes over a narrow hogback partly covered with timber 
where there has been considerable erosion. The hogback contains an 
abundance of white oak, shellbark hickory and on the slope some bass- 
wood, ash, etc. 

The 100 acres to be included in this park area contain a lake of about 
30 or 40 acres. It is a comparatively wide valley probably formed by 
an ancient stream now diverted, that emptied into the Des Moines a 
quarter of a mile below the dam on the lake. The depth of this water 
in the lake is nowhere much more than four feet and at the present time 
has only a few open places. The rest is filled with lotus or chinquapin, 
a most beautiful sight. Thousands of the flowers were in bloom, the 
large creamy white flowers making a wonderful sight. Probably nowhere 
in Iowa can one behold so large a field of .t^iis lotus. It is probably also 
one of the few places where it occurs along the Des Moines as far north, 
west of the Mississippi river. It occurs in the sloughs of the Mississippi 
as far north as Wisconsin and Minnesota. The species may have been 
planted here by the Indians who used the tubers for food. There were 
a few cattails and arrowhead. I noted the following plants on the border 
of the lake: Scirpus, Aster sp, Solidago sp. The adjacent land rises 
rather abruptly and is of the Memphis silt loam type of soil. There is 
also occasionally an outcrop of sandstone. The adjacent region is large- 
ly covered with a second growth of timber. The trees are mostly second 
growth, although a few of the original trees are still standing, especially 
the white oak. We note here also that the black walnut and honey locust 
grow on the upland. Species were noted of all the oaks native to Iowa 
except two, namely, the pin oak (Quercus palustris) and barren oak 
(Q. ellipsoidalis), the red oak (Q. rubra), quercitron oak (Q. velutina), 
white oak (Q. alba), swamp white oak (Q. plantanoides), chestnut oak 
(Q. acuminata), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), two hickories shell bark (Q. 
ovata) and pignut (G. cordiformis), black walnut (Juglans nigra), but- 
ternut (J. cinerea), white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (F. lan- 
ccolata) are common. In the bottom near the Des Moines the black 
maple (Acer nigrum), soft maple (A. saccharnium), box elder (A. ne- 
gundo), Cottonwood (Populus deltoidea), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), 
white or American elm (Ulmus americana), slippery elm (U. fulva), honey 
locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), black locust (Robinia Pseudo-Acacia) in- 
troduced, the sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), basswood (Tilia ameii- 
cana), the river birch (Betula nigra), on the Des Moines sand bar willow 
(Salix fluviatile and S. Nigra and S. amygdaloides), an abundance of red 
bud ( Cercis canadensis), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and mulberry 
(Morus rubra), hophorn beam, choke cherry (Prunus virginiana), black 
cherry (P. serotina). Of the shrubs the following were noted: Buck bush 
(Symphoricarpus orbiculatus), dew berry (Rhuus nigrobaccus), some rose, 
probably (Rosa blanda), sweet briar rose (Rosa rubiginosa), grape 
(Vitis vulpina), dogwood (Cornus asperifolia), hazel brush (Corylus amer- 
icana). I did not note many herbaceous plants in bloom. Ruellia ciliosa, 
Monarda fistulosa, Potentilla canadensis, Anemone virginiana. Polygon- 



68 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

atum commutatum, Festuca nutans, Bromus purgans, Thalictrum purpur 
ascens, blue grass (Poa pratensis). 

In a paper on the Keosauqua area for southeastern Iowa I touched on 
the more important scientific features of the region in general. In a 
former visit long before the matter of state park sites for this area was 
talten up I felt that some of this interesting region should be set aside 
for park purposes. The region is an interesting one. This part of Van 
Buren county, like the remainder, was covered with the Kansan drift. 

W. H. Stevenson, P. E. Brown and G. E. Corson and W. H. Reid state 
that "It extends to a depth of 50 to 100 feet and is som.ewhat thicker 
in the southwestern than in the northeastern part of the county. It 
consists of two well marked divisions of boulder clays, a lower blue clay 
and an overlying yellow clay, both of which include more or less sand 
and gravel. There is no well defined boundary between these two clays, 
but they grade gradually into each other. The lower clay is dark blue, 
compact and hard and filled with pebbles and small boulders. It varies 
in thickness from a few feet up to 75 feet. The overlying clay is usually 
a buff to reddish-yellow in color and it frequently contains sandy areas. 
It contains more life than the underlying material. Usually the yellow 
clays vary from 25 to 50 feet in thickness. 

"At some previous geological time, a layer of fine dust-like, ash-colored 
material, called loess, was deposited over the glacial drift. Much of this 
material has been washed away since its deposition, especially along 
the Des Moines river, and the remainder forms a thin covering over the 
upland areas. This loess covering is usually 2 or 3 feet and never more 
than 10 feet in depth. 

"Along the rivers in the county there are terrace soils, or former 
bottom lands which have been raised above the overflow of the streams 
by the shrinkage in volume of water or by the deepening of the channel 
of the stream. There are also several bottom land soils, occurring ad- 
jacent to the streams and subject to overflow. 

"The soil of the area under consideration is a terrace soil known as 
the Calhoun silt Joam. On a part of the area there are outcrops of a 
limy sandstone on which ferns abound. Most of the area is embraced 
in the Calhoun silt loam. 

"The surface soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches is composed of brown 
or grayish brown, compact, but fairly friable silt loam which when dry 
often appears almost white. In some areas the surface soil is some- 
what darker than the typical. Beneath the surface there is a layer 3 
to 4 inches thick of whitish or grayish white mealy silt loam, which 
changes below into a gray clay loam mottled with brown. The material 
from 20 to 24 inches usually becomes a drab or bluish gray, plastic silty 
clay mottled with yellow and brown. Below 30 inches the color becomes 
lighter with mottlings of yellow and gray. 

"In topography this soil is level or undulating to slightly sloping. The 
slope from the terrace to the bottoms is gradual, extending for as much 
as one-eighth of a mile in length and this slope is often cut by ravines. 
Small streams frequently cut up the larger areas. The elevation above 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 69 

the bottoms is usually 50 or 60 feet, but in the smaller areas the differ- 
ence is often only 20 or 30 feet. In most of the type the drainage is 
good, but on the flat areas it is apt to be deficient." 

The usual trees common in the county were observed by the writer — 
sycamore, basswood, slippery elm and American elm, hard maple (Acer 
nigrum), bur oak, white, chestnut, quercitron, red, black and post oak, 
red bud, honey locust, coffee bean, black locust (naturalized), hop- 
horn beam (Ostyra virginiana), white ash, green ash, almond leaved 
willow, black willow, sand bur willow, cottonwood, river birch, hazel, 
prickly ash, dogwood (two kinds), hop tree, sumach, poison ivy, fragrant 
sumach (Rhus canadensis) and wild grape. There are also many interest- 
ing herbaceous plants, aster, golden rods, violets, lilies, crowfoot, etc. 
There is a splendid covering of second growth timber, but only a few 
of the primeval trees are left. It seems to me this land next to the 
Mississippi river has such a strong tendency to wash that it cannot be 
well suited for agricultural purposes and sooner or later must be covered 
with trees to hold the flood waters back. 

The region will make a splendid game preserve and should be ac- 
quired. Inasmuch as the people of Keosauqua propose to give the state 
a quarter section, we should acquire the area in question, some 800 to 
900 acres more so that the area may be rounded out. If we do not ac- 
quire it this year, I am in favor of acquiring the tract with virgin timber 
containing some large trees, red, bur and white oak. There are some 
60 acres in this old timber tract. 



GEOLOGY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY. 
By Charles H. Gordon, Geologist. 

The present channel of the Des Moines river evidently dates from the 
glacial epoch. Where the river encounters the limestones of the Miss- 
issippian or Lower Carbiniferous series, the channel is comparatively 
narrow with more or less precipitous rock escarpments. 

West of Kilbourne, the soft coal measure rocks descend, passing below 
the river level below the west line of the county. Here the valley is 
wider and the slopes more gentle. In the vicinity of Farmington, also, 
a similar condition prevails, though here in part attributable to depres- 
sions in the surface of the limestones. This valley therefore well illus- 
trates the principal "that mature and old forms are more rapidly de- 
veloped on soft than on hard rocks." As a whole the valley shows the 
topographical characteristics of youth. 

At the middle of the county, the river forms a loop not unlike an ox-bow 
in shape. Between the upper points of the loop, the surface is very 
nearly on a level with the general plain to the northeast, of which plain 
it forms a part (758 feet above sea level). Along the line of the rail- 
road this has been reduced slightly by the erosion of the branches. It 
is evident that the Des Moines river flowed over this point, but was de- 
flected southward somewhat at the very beginning. This course was 
probably determined by a slight depression below the general plain level, 



70 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

possibly due to irregularities in the rock surface or to glacial drainage. 
As erosion went on, its efforts were directed toward straightening its 
course by the corrosion of its left bank at the Kilbourne bend. The 
effect of this, however, was to cause still greater deflection southward 
which was increased when the hard limestones were encountered. As 
the loop gradually extended itself southward, the stream encountered 
similar resisting rock walls, but of somewhat softer constitution, so that 
corrosion took place here more rapidly than before. For a time the 
corrosion was fairly uniform, giving the loop a regular outline. After 
reaching the ninety-foot terrace. level, however, the soft Keosauqua sand- 
stone had been penetrated toward the east. By the descent of the 
strata to the southwest this sandstone remained about at the river level, 
so that while corrosion was taking place quite rapidly in the soft sand- 
stone toward the southwest the hard limestone eastward offered a much 
more effectual resistance, giving rise to the northward bend below Keo- 
sauqua, instead of a uniform curve which would result if the rocks were 
of uniform hardness. 

Terraces. — The highest terrace is about 140 feet above low water at 
Keosauqua. From this point the terraces descend quite uniformly. The 
most marked are the following.: 

145 feet 120 feet 90 feet 

75 feet 50 feet 25 feet 

15 feet and 10 feet 

—History of the Des Moines, Vol. IV, p. 235. 

The Des Moines River. — The Des Moines river flows nearly due south- 
east, and with one exception varies little from a direct course. This 
exception occurs in the center of the county where the river is abruptly 
deflected from its course to the southwestward, but soon returns, forming 
a deep U-shaped loop whose axis is a right angle to the general course 
of the stream. The length of the loop thus formed is about five miles, 
while across the neck the distance is not more than two miles. To make 
this short distance the river takes a roundabout course- of fully twelve 
miles. The principal tributaries to the Des Moines are Indian, Bear, 
Chequest and Holcomb creeks on the south, and Reed, Coates and Lick 
creeks on the north. 

Indian Creek. — This creek bisects the Des Moines between the Des 
Moines and Fox rivers, flowing parallel with tliem from its source near 
the western line of the county to Willett station where it turns eastward. 
Except in the last four miles of its course, where it invades the Saint 
Louis limestone, the stream flows over a thick bed of drift. In this por- 
tion the stream has comparatively wide bottoms with more or less abrupt 
but rounded slopes. 

Bear Creek. — Bear creek has a comparatively steep declivity. It takes 
its rise on the plateau level south of Keosauqua and, soon penetrating 
to the rock, is bordered in the lower half of its course by more or less 
prominent mural escarpments. It opens into the Des Moines at a high 
angle just south of Bentonsport. 

Chequest Creek. — Chequest creek rises in Davis county and flows 
approximately parallel to the general course of the Des Moines, into 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 71 

which it empties at Pittsburg. Throughout the greater part of its course 
in Van Buren county, the stream flows over tlie limestone of the Saint 
Louis, in which it has cut a somewhat irregular channel with prominent 
rock escarpments. 

Lick Creek. — Lick creek takes its rise in Jefferson county, flows south- 
easterward and enters the Des Moines at Kilbourne. Throughout most 
of its course the channel is confined to the drift and coal measure forma- 
tions, the latter of which, from lack of resisting materials, offers few 
exposures, and the region is marked by rounded, hilly topography. Lick 
creek penetrates to the limestone, however, a short distance above Kil- 
bourne, and from this point its course is marked by abrupt deflections 
and prominent rock escarpments. 

Coates Creek. — Somewhat similar in character to Lick is Coates or 
Honey creek. Taking its rise in the upland plateau in numerous widely 
branching secondaries and flowing southward, it discharges into the Des 
Moines. It soon penetrates the drift and coal measure deposits, and its 
course thereafter is marked by more or less prominent rock acclivities 
carved in the Saint Louis limestone. 

Reed creek is almost the counterpart of Coates, except that in its 
lower course it is more sinuous from deflections due to the peculiarities 
of the underlying rock structure. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. IV, p. 
203, 204, 205. 



FOREST TREES OF MUSCATINE COUNTY. 
By Ferdinand Reppert. 
The timber area of Muscatine county is conflned to the region along 
the Mississippi and Cedar rivers. Originally these forest belts were in 
the main unbroken and continuous along these watercourses, and from 
four to six miles or more wide. Much of this area has been cleared of 
its timber and converted into farm and pasture lands. The original 
larger forest trees have almost disappeared, so that what is now seen are 
mostly "second growth" trees. There is very little, if any,, timber cut 
for export or manufacturing purposes. There are frequent groves on 
the prairie farms, planted to protect the houses and live stock from 
wintry blasts. The soft maple is the principal tree planted for this pur- 
pose; small groves of black walnut and evergreen trees are occasionally 
seen. The forest trees which most largely contribute to the timber sup- 
.ply are the white oak, bur oak, shellbark hickory and mocker-nut hickory. 
A few other species contribute more or less to the wood supply, but the 
six species above mentioned largely predominate. — Geological Survey, 
Vol. IX, pp. 380-1. 



GEOLOGY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY. 

By John A. Udden, Geologist. 

The west bluff of Pine creek, all the way from Pine creek to near the 

junction of its two main branches near the center of section 17 in Mont- 

pelier township, consists of a high and frequently vertical escarpment 



72 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

of solid sandstone, from fifty to a hundred feet high. This sandstone 
rests on softer shaly beds, into which the creek has cut its valley. The 
sandstone has been partly undermined by the stream, furthermore it 
is cut by vertical joints; and for these causes blocks of the rock break 
off and fall down, forming a talus below. Near the north end of the 
escarpment some large blocks of the whole formation of the sandstone 
have begun to creep out and down on the underlying shale and have 
left a deep fissure ten feet wide between the detached and face of the 
main ledge. This fissure is known as Devil's Lane. A remnant of an- 
other block lies still farther out, having advanced farther down toward 
the creek. This must have been detached first from the parent ledge. 
A third block is just in the process of being detached and is ready to 
join the procession in the rear. On the surface of the ground above, 
there are three sunken pits in a row of the forming crevice. This is 
open below at the south end, and is known as the Niche. North of the 
lane there is a recess in the wall which has been called the Bake Oven. 
Some distance to the north of this, close up to the brink of the wall, 
another small recess in the sandstone has been formed. This received 
the name of the Wild Cat Den from the nimrods among the early settlers 
in that region. The beautiful scenery along this mural escarpment is 
enhanced by some native pines that rise in somber grandeur from the 
brink of the wall. During the warm season it attracts from the cities 
and from the surrounding country, many visitors, who find comfort in 
the cool shade of the bluff and enjoy refreshing drinks from the Chaly- 
beate springs that issue from under the base of the sandstone. Some 
years ago a cast of the curving, tapering radical end of a calamites tree 
was found in one of the blocks of the talus below this cliff. 

Northward from the river the Des Moines rapidly thins out. Near 
the east line of the county it is last seen in the south half of section 1, 
in Montpelier township. Along the east branch of Pine creek it disap- 
pears in the northern portions of sections 3 and 4. Near the center of 
the south line of the latter section there are about thirty feet of sand- 
stone, mostly disintegrated to an incoherent sand, with here and there 
some hard, thin, ferruginous layers. — Geological Survey, Vol. IX, pp. 
310-11. 



REPORT ON WILD CAT DEN. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The Wild Cat Den in Muscatine county is situated on Pine creek, some 
two and one-half miles from the U. S. Biological Station at Fairport, ten 
miles from Muscatine and fifteen miles from Davenport, also about seven 
miles from Pleasant Prairie Station on the Clinton, Davenport and Mus- 
catine Railroad. It is easily accessible to about 150,000 people. It is 
within half a mile of the New Era Community Center, which is main- 
tained in part by Miss Clara L. and Miss Emma C. Brandt. 

Wild Cat Den or Wild Cat Glen is well known to the people of the 
region and its fame as a region containing rare and interesting plants 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 73 

is known far beyond the border of Iowa. Dr. H. C. Cowles of the Uni- 
versity of Chicago annually takes his classes In ecology to the region 
to study the ecology of the region. Dr. B. Shimek, Professor of Botany 
of the University of Iowa, also uses the region to study the plants. The 
region has moich of historical interest connected with it. Montpeller 
is on the Mississippi not far from the mouth of Pine creek. The first store 
in the county was established in 1838 by a Mr. Nye, who landed at the 
mouth of Pine creek in 1834. He was the second settler in the county. His 
grave and the grave of some others of the pioneers are neglected. The 
grist mill is also an old landmark, and was built soon after the permanent 
settlement in that vicinity was established. It is in a good state of preser- 
vation and is still in use, the dam as well as the mill. It is a most pic- 
turesque place and good enough for any artist to paint as a rural scene. 
Wild Cat Den occupies an area of about 200 acres, belonging to the 
two Brandt sisters, Mr. Otto Fitchner and Mr. Welsch. These people 
are to be highly commended for keeping the place in such fine condition. 
The wild plants have had an opportunity here to grow and the wild life 
has also been protected. In many of the scenic places I have visited 
in Iowa much destruction has occurred, over pasturing, cutting of timber, 
which has destroyed the beauty of the natural surroundings. However, 
in the case of Wild Cat Den in Muscatine county, the owners have pro- 
tected the area in such a way that the original conditions still exist. It 
is to be noted, however, that people have gone in during the past to re- 
move the young white pine. It is interesting to note that there are no 
medium aged white pine left. The original trees 120 to 150 years old 
and very young trees six to seven years only remain. The early settlers 
removed the trees six to ten years old to plant in their yards. The re- 
moval of young pines and other plants was so frequent that the Brandts 
do not allow anyone on the place, except by permit. There is evidence 
that young pine, if given a chance, will recover the ground. Many of 
the old oaks and other trees are still standing in the virgin condition. 

AGE OP TREES. 

Species of trees. Age. Diameter. 

White pine 120 years 25 inches 

White pine 130 " 29 

Red oak 95 " 25 

White ash 85 " 20 

Black oak (Quercus ellipsoid.alis) 120 " 20 " 

Geology of the Region. — Muscatine county is generally a smooth plain 
except for the narrow valley which has dissected the plain. In the 
eastern part of the county the elevation reaches a maximum of 800 feet. 
The Cedar river flows across the western part of the county and has 
formed a broad valley. The Mississippi river flows along the eastern 
border and below the city of Muscatine forms a semi-circular valley, 
known as Muscatine Island. The streams, except those mentioned above, 
are short. Pine creek is of this type. This stream heads in Fulton and 
Wilton townships, flowing through Sweetland and Montpelier townships, 
emptying into the Mississippi between the towns of Montpelier and Fair- 
port. The area is located in Montpelier township near the New Era 
community center. The rock outcrops consist of carboniferous sand- 
stone and associated shale. The soil is known as Lindley silt loam. H. 



74 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

W. Hawker and W. H. Johnson in a U. S. Dept. of Agr. 1916 Report, 
"Soil Survey of Muscatine County, Iowa," state: 

"The main occurrence of the Lindley silt loam is on the bluff slopes 
extending from the upland to the alluvial bottoms, and back along the 
deeply eroded stream channels draining the uplands. By far the greater 
part of the total area mapped occurs in the eroded area east of Musca- 
tine. The type is forested, the growth being the same as that of the 
Memphis silt loam, with which this soil is associated. 

"Forestry and pasture are the only uses to which the type can be de- 
voted. West of Muscatine some groves of walnut are found on the bluff 
slope; these are valuable chiefly for cabinet and furniture wood. The 
area of the type under cultivation is so small that no data on crop yields 
could be obtained. Cultivated crops suffer from excessive drainage, 
drought, and the disastrous erosion to which the sharp slopes of the 
type are subject." 

Trees of the Region. — The following trees were observed: White pine 
(Pinus strobus) on the sandstone slopes, white oak (Quercus alba), red 
oak (Q. rubra), bur oak (Q. raacrocarpa), barren oak or black oak (Q. 
ellipsoidalis), chestnut oak (Q. acuminata), swamp white oak (Q. plata- 
noides), white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (F. pennsylvanica 
var lanceolata) in low grounds, shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), mocker- 
nut or white heart hickory (Carya alba), pignut or bitternut (Carya 
cordiformis), black cherry (Prunus serotina), choke cherry (P. virgini- 
ana), iron wood (Ostrya virginiana), blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana), 
river or black birch (Betula nigra) in low grounds, sycamore (Platanus 
occidentalis), basswood (Tilia americana), wild crab (Pyrus lowensis), 
American plum (Prunus americana), service berry (Amelanchier cana- 
densis), red haw (Crataegus mollis), C. Margaretta, C. punctata, box 
elder (Acer negundo), soft maple (A. saccharinum), black sugar maple 
(A. nigrum), sugar maple (A. saccharum), quaking aspen (Populus 
tremuloides), large toothed aspen (P. grandidentata), cottonwood (Popu- 
lus deltoides), black willow (Salix nigra), almond leaved willow (S. 
amygdaloides), cordate willow (Salix cordata), honey locust (Gleditsia 
triacanthos), coffee bean (Gymnocladus diolca), slippery elm (Ulmus 
fulva), white elm (U. americana), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), red- 
bud (Cercis canadensis). 

The shrubs observed by the writer in the region are as follows: Prick- 
ly ash (Xanthoxylum americanum), dogwood (Cornus asperifolia, C. cir- 
cinata, C. amomum, C. alternifolia), ha^el (Corylus americana), prairie 
willow (Salix humilis), rose (Rosa blanda), lead plant (Amorpha canes- 
cens), wild indigo (Amorpha fruiticosa). New Jersey tea (Ceanothus 
americanus), sumach (Rhus glabra), black cap raspberry (Rubus occi- 
dentalis), red raspberry (R. idaeus var aculeatissimus), black berry (R. 
cuneifolius, R. villosus), honeysuckles (Lonicera glauca), bush honey- 
suckle (Die villa trifida), black haw (Viburnum Lentago), haw (V. pu- 
bescens), huckleberry (Glylussacia baccata), wild grape (Vitis vulpina, 
V. labruscae), Virginia creeper (Psedera quinquefolia), gooseberry 
(Ribes gracile, R. cynosbati). 

Herbaceous Plants. — A few of the herbaceous plants noted by the 
writer are as follows: Anemone (Anemone nemorosa), wood sorrel 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 75 

(Oxalis violacea), Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis), trillium (Trillium 
sessile, T. grandiflorum), false Solomon's seal (Smilacina stellata, S. race- 
mosa), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum commutatum), bellwort (Uvularia 
grandiflora), dog toothed violet (Brythronium albidum), violets (Viola 
cucuUata, V. pubescens, V. striata, V. pedata, V. pedatifida), yellow grass 
(Hypoxis orecta), blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolia), golden 
rods (Solidago latifolia, S. ulmifolia), asters (Aster sagittifolius, A. 
Drummodii, A. laevis). Bishop's cap (Mitella diphylla), vetch (Vicia 
americana), milk vetch (Astragalus canadensis), meadow grass (Poa 
debilis). Tick trefoil (Desmodium Dillenii), hog pea (Amphicarpaea 
Pitcheri), blue grass (Poa pratensis, P. compressa), ginseng (Panax quin- 
quefolium), wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis). Saint Jacob's ladder 
(Polemonium reptans). Sweet William (Phlox divaricata. Phlox pio- 
losa), water leaf (Hydrophyllm virginicum), prairie clovers (Lespedeza 
violacea and L. reticulata) occur in drier soil. Chickweed (Cerastium 
nutans), sandwort (Arenaria latifolia), rattlesnake plaintain (Goodyera 
pubescens), strawberry (Fragaria vesca), morning glory (Convolvulus 
spithamaeus), agrimony (Agrimonia parviflora), goat's beard (Spirea 
arumcus), aster (Aster cordifolius, A. macrophyllus), turtle head (Che- 
lone glabra), false fox glove (Gerardia tenuifolia var aspera), small 
false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum canadense), wild hyacinth (Camassia 
fraseri) are other species of the region. 

Of the rarer plants occurring in this vicinity, but not on these sand- 
stone bluffs, mention may be made of Rhexia virginica. Phlox bifida 
along the Cedar river; Symplocarpus foetidus. Allium tricoccum, Calo- 
pogon pulchellus in boggy places in the Cedar river region; Dodecatheon 
meadia is rather common on prairies; Angelica atropurpurea and cow- 
bane (Cicuta bulbifera) in low grounds. Pentstemon grandiflorus, Brew- 
eria pickeringii, Cristatella jamesii, Helianthus petiolaris and Panicum 
autumnale is more or less common on Muscatine Island. 

Above the alluvial drift to the edge of the timbered area at AVyoming 
Hill, tall red top (Triodia cuprea) grows in large masses. The dry lands 
are covered with this beautiful grass. It has spread for some miles north 
and south along the railroad. Liatris culindracea, Andropogon furcatus 
and Koeleria cristata are found, but less commonly. The wooded area 
is marked by the abundance of prairie clover (Lespedeza procumbens), 
bottle grass (Asprella hystrix), red oak (Quercus rubra) and hickory 
(Carya alba). 

Carboniferous Sandstone Vegetation. — The region here considered is 
locally known as "Wild Cat Den," and occurs along Pine creek north of 
Sweetland. The region is an extremely interesting one. The flora rep- 
resents an island where some northern and southern species have been 
preserved. It is isolated from the prairie species to the west and the 
common woodland forms along the river. The region owes its peculiar 
vegetation to climate, as well as physiographic conditions prevailing. 

The sandstone is retentive of moisture and releases its moisture more 
slowly than limestone rock of the prairie region. Since it is densely 
covered with timber, snow remains longer during the spring and the 
plants are better protected than on the treeless prairies. 

This region not only contains grasses which occur elsewhere in the 



76 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

state, like bottle grass (Asprella hystrip), Cinna arundinacea, blue grass 
(Poa pratensis), little blue stem (Andropogon scoparius), rice cut grass 
(Leersia virginica and L. oryzoides), but the tops of open clay hills are 
covered with wild grass (Danthonia spicata), and on one or two of the 
clay ridges crab grass (Panicum filiforme), small and diminutive in most 
cases occurs; meadow grass (Poa debilis), first found by Barnes and 
Miller; dropseed grass (Muhlenbergia sobolifera and M. Wildenovii) are 
found in damp, shady woods. The rocky talus supports Goldie's fern 
(Aspidium Goldianum), wood fern (Aspidium spinulosum) and beech 
fern (Phegopteris polypodioides) only in one place. These species will 
soon disappear. Nearby is found Alpine enchanters nightshade (Cir- 
caea alpina). The rich woods contain another beech fern (Phegopteris 
polypodioides) in considerable quantity. Christmas fern (Aspidium 
acrostichoides) occurs in damp rich woods. Club mosses (Lycopodium 
lucidulum and L. complanatum) have both been found by Mr. Reppert 
on the sandstone talus. One of the hillsides contains a considerable 
quantity of huckleberry (Gaylussacia resinosa). It occurs with wild oat 
(Danthonia spicata) and crab grass (Panicum filiforme), hawkweed 
(Hieracium scabrum and H. Canadense) occur with oat grass (Dan- 
thonia). Both are rare in Iowa, Prairie clover (Lespedeza reticulata) 
and rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens) are associated with 
huckleberry (Gaylussacia). 

The region is interesting because of the number of native ferns found 
there. I may mention the following ferns found by me on the trip made 
on May 18th: The rocks were covered with walking leaf fern (Camp- 
tosorus rhizophyllus), a little of the polypody (Polypodium vulgare), 
woodsia (Woodsia obtusata), maiden hair fern (Adlantum pedatum), 
Goldie's fern (Aspidium goldianum), small aspidium (A. spinolosum), 
spleen wort (Asplenium felix, Foemina), brake (Pteris aquilina). 



THE NATURAL BRIDGE AND CAVES OF JACKSON COUNTY. 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

One of the most unique regions of Iowa, because of the rarity of the 
phenomena as well as of their natural beauty, is that including the natural 
bridge and the caverns known as the Morehead Caves. These are lo- 
cated in a small ravine about a mile from Maquoketa river in section 
six of South Fork township, Jackson county, eight or nine miles north- 
west of Maquoketa. They are a really wonderful group of objects, typify- 
ing as they do the great erosive and dissolving power of running water 
and combining in their features both the majesty and the beauty of Na- 
ture's work. As the observer studies their rugged form and massive pro- 
portions and considers the conditions which have given them their 
present-day shape he can not fail to be filled with increasing awe and 
wonder at the power of Nature's forces as well as with admiration of the 
results here accomplished. 

The visitor who approaches the caves by way of the road from Ma- 
quoketa enters the ravine rather at a right angle to its length and may 
here cross it on a sort of platform far above the real floor, which may be 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 77 

reached on either side by steep pathways. To the left the pathway leads 
down the sides of a great funnel-shaped opening strewn with boulders 
which are the remnants of the once solid rock which occupied this space. 
This funnel is perhaps fifty feet in depth and diameter and at the bottom 
it leads on one hand to a great archlike tunnel two hundred feet long 
which at the middle of its length is so low that one must stoop to pass 
through. At the far end, however, it opens into a majestic hall whose 
roof springs a clear thirty feet from the floor and covers a horizontal 
span of twice or thrice this space. In the winter great icicles hang 
pendant from the roof from the dripping springs which seep through the 
rock. Outwardly this natural auditorium opens to the tree covered slope 
of the ravine. When the writer visited the caves the trees were loaded 
with snow and the scene afforded by the white clad trees framed within 
the great portals of living rock was one not soon to be forgotten. Along 
the floor of the tunnel a stream at times winds its devious way, descend- 
ant and inheritor of that which performed this miracle of water wearing 
away stones. In the other direction the funnel leads to a narrow pass- 
age which passes under the platform already mentioned as affording a 
crossing of the ravine. 

To the approaching visitor's right the pathway leads down the steep 
slope into a great cavity whose walls on two sides overarch in a cavern 
fifty feet deep and fully as wide. The narrow passage mentioned before 
opens into the base of this cavern as a low opening not high enough to 
admit of traversing, except perhaps on hands and knees. 

The far side of the great cavity, that toward the open ravine, is limited 
by the arch of the natural bridge. Enthusiasm, however exuberant, is 
entirely pardonable in describing this beautiful span. While of course 
it is not comparable in dimensions with the immense natural bridges of 
Utah, so far as massive architectural beauty, the coloration of the rock 
and the crown of foliage which covers its summit, can compensate for 
smaller size, Iowa's natural bridge surely excels those of the barren 
west. The top of the arch is flat, perhaps forty or fifty feet above the 
floor of the valley and bears upon its broad back several large trees, be- 
sides a complete covering of smaller vegetation. The arch itself rises 
twenty feet or so above the base and is twenty or thirty feet thick. The 
growth of the lichens and mosses which covers the stone walls has given 
a delightful variety of pale green and dark gi-een, in contrast to the reddish 
and yellowish tinge of the rock itself. No photographs can do full justice 
to such a noble subject as the caves and bridge, for to be appreciated 
they must be viewed from so many angles and points of vantage which 
the camera can not reach. A photograph at best can give only a frag- 
mentary glimpse of the true beauties of gems of Nature such as these. 
Surely if there are any points of beauty anywhere in Iowa which are 
worthy of reservation and preservation by the State this is one of them, 
for nowhere else do we have just such natural features as these, features 
which will delight and reward the visitor for any outlay of time or 
energy necessary to acquaint himself with their beauty and value. 



78 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

TOPOGRAPHY OF MOREHEAD CAVE AREA. 
By T. E. Savage, Geologist. 

Near the middle of the north half of section 6, South Fork township, 
is an area known locally as "the caves." These consist of a series of 
natural bridges that have been developed by the waters of a small creek 
eroding a subterranean passage, and the subsequent partial caving in of 
the roof of the cavern. 

The upper or most northerly bridge has a length of 150 feet across the 
gorge and a width of about sixty feet. The stream flows in a channel 
about ninety feet below the top of the bluffs. It has carved a passage 
fifty feet in height beneath the span of the bridge. About eight rods fur- 
ther down the stream a second arch crosses the ravine. This latter is 
several rods in width, but is so choked with silt and driftwood that the 
passage can only be followed with difficulty. 

A few rods further down the creek there is a sink hole sixty feet in 
depth, having a diameter at the top of seventy-five feet. Climbing down 
to the bottom of this shaft the explorer can readily follow an underground 
passage three hundred feet in length, forty to seventy feet in width and 
eight to twenty-five feet in height. At various points along this main 
passage there are to be seen entrances to smaller galleries which wind 
in and out along the sides and roof of the cavern. A beautiful spring, 
furnishing a stream of water four feet in width, issues from one of these 
lateral canals. At the lower end of the passage the stream emerges in a 
gorge whose bounding cliffs rise' 125 feet on either side. This locality 
is a justly popular resort for drives and picnics for the people in all of 
the southwestern portion of the county. 

In the southern part of Ptichland township, near the village of Cotton- 
ville, another series of caverns or underground passage? have been de- 
veloped. 

Such channels are usually formed where streams having a steep 
gradient cut deeply into thick bedded limestones. Professor Shaler has 
shown that their genesis also requires forest conditions. As the rain 
water filters through leaf mould over woodland areas, it becomes charged 
with carbonic acid gas from plant decay. As this carbonated water slowly 
percolates along the crevices and joint planes of limestone strata, it grad- 
ually widens the fissures by taking into solution some of the material 
along the way. The amount of limestone thus dissolved by the water is 
always in direct proportion to the amount of carbonic acid gas that the 
water contains. As the passages become enlarged a larger volume of 
water follows them, and, in turn, the larger stream of water more rapidly 
increases the size of the channels by abrasion as well as by solution. 

In the course of time the streams of such a region desert the surface, 
and find an outlet to their major streams through subterranean channels. 
If not too deep beneath the surface, the roof of these passages w'll even- 
tually be broken through at some points giving rise to natural bridges. 
Gradually the underground channel may be converted into a gorge by 
the falling down of the roof along its entire course. — Geology of Jackson 
County, pp. 571-3. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 79 

THE MOREHEAD CAVES IN JACKSON COUNTY. 

Maquoketa, Iowa, March 26, 1919. 

Dr. L. H. Pammel, Ames, Iowa. Dear Sir: The Fine Arts Club of 
Maquoketa, has asked me to write to you in regard to an interesting tract 
near here, which we think should be placed upon the list of state park 
areas. It is known as the Morehead Caves. A really wonderful forma- 
tion! There is what is called the "Pulpit," The "Dance Hall," The 
"Dining Room," ice cave and many other features. Persons have ex- 
plored the caves going perhaps % of a mile, coming out into another 
opening, over the caves where there is a fine forest which we fear is 
being ruthlessly cut down for timber. Thousands of people visit the 
caves every summer. We believe it should be developed into a very 
valuable area for our state, with small expense. Our club would be of 
service in every way possible. 

May we hear from you? 

Mrs. A. J. House. 



FLORA OF JACKSON AND DUBUQUE COUNTIES. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The region, as a whole, along- the Mississippi River and the tributaries, 
is extremely rough. The largest stream of the region is the Maquoketa 
river, with a flood plain somewhat wider than the other streams. The 
smaller streams are all tortuous and for much of their distance show 
vertical walls of limestone. In many of these places the valleys re- 
semble canons. The hillsides for the most part were covered with forest 
trees. In some places with rough limestone exposure the hills were 
grassy with such grasses as bluestem (Andropogon provincialis), and 
small blue stem (A. scoparius) and Switch grass (Panicum virgatum). 
Many of the original grasses have been replaced by blue grass (Poa 
pratensis) but more especially (P. compressa), and annual grasses like 
Tickle grass (Panicum capillare). The limestone hills are covered %vith 
a variety of trees like the Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), white oak 
(Quercus alba), red oak (Q. rubra) and Chestnut oak (Q. acuminata). The 
barren oak (Q. ellipsoidalis), and Quercitron oak (Q. velutina) are com- 
mon in soils containing some sand. On the hillsides such trees as white 
ash (Fraxinus americana), black cherry (Pi'unus serotina) Choke cherry 
(P. virginiana) and an occasional group of Pin cherry (P. pennsyl- 
vanicus) occur. The American plum (Prunus americana) is common 
everywhere. The wild crab (Pyrus ioensis) forms thickets everywhere 
over the hills. 

During the month of April the woods are whitened by the blossoming 
of the Service berry (Amelanchier canadensis). Everywhere may be 
seen the vine of wild grape (Vitis vulpina), the bittersweet (Celastrus scan- 
dens), the honeysuckle (Lonicera glauca). A gorgeous display of the 
Columbine (Aguilegia canadensis) is found in every protected nook of the 
rocky shady declivities. On shady rocky hills the white flowers of the 
ninebark (Physocarpos opulifolius) make a splendid showing. A some- 
what rare shrub, the buckthorn (Rhamnus lanceolata) occurs on the 



80 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

limestone ridges scattered throughout the region. The paper birch, so 
common northward, is scattered here and there in Dubuque county, but 
so far as I know does not occur along the Mississippi river at Green 
Island. 

A number of southern trees are found in the region, like the Sycamore 
(Platanus occidentalis), the honey locust (Gledistsia triacanthos) which 
occurs, however, to the north in Clayton county, while the Coffee bean 
(Gymnocladus dioica) occurs north in Minnesota. Both of these trees 
are fairly common. The swamp white oak Is common on the Mississippi 
bottoms along with the soft maple (Acer saccharinum), Cottonwood 
(Populus deltoideas), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). These counties con- 
tain several most interesting trees that belong to the south. The islands 
of the Mississippi subject to overflow contain the pecan (Carya Illi- 
noisense). It is probably the most northern distribution of the species 
in the United States. Another southern tree occurs vdth it, the pin oak 
(Quercus palustris) this too is the most northern distribution in Iowa. 
It seems to me that a small portion of the area where these occur should 
be preserved. The wood of the pecan and pin oak i- so valuable that the 
best of the trees have long since been removed. Cannot a small area be 
preserved here and there? In this same region may be found Lotus ponds 
(Nelumbium luteum) one of the interesting and unique plants of Iowa, its 
straight leaf stalks standing out of the water, followed by creamy yel- 
lowish white flowers raised on long stalks, and later the large top- 
shaped receptacles commonly called pods replace the flowers. The In- 
dians when they were supreme in this region, gave some attention to 
the plant, because they used the thick rhizones and seed for food. 

It is worth noting here that when the American association met in 
Dubuque in 1871, and Dr. Asa Gray, the leading American botanist, de- 
livered his presidential address, he made a special trip to McGregor to 
view the lotus beds. A Mr. Wright took the geologist, Dana, and the 
botanist, Asa Gray, to these flower beds. 

Two other interesting aquatic plants occur in the region, namely the 
white water lily and the Spatter Dock. The low alluvial meadows of the 
Mississippi are fairly aglow with the Cardinal flower. Surely there is 
nothing in all of the category of late cummer plants equal to the cardinal 
flowers and there are acres of them in this region. I cannot refrain from 
mentioning another plant of the region the paw paw (Asimina triloba). 
How many Iowa people know that this plant is a native of Jackson and 
Dubuque counties. Many years ago I made a special stop at Specht's 
Ferry near Dubuque to pick some of these plants. It was found in 
abundance at the base of the hill near the place, along with the man- 
drake, sweet William, blue and yellow violets and bittersweet, black 
walnut, American and slippery elm and hard maple. Some years earlier 
I had received some specimens from a Mr. Kenyon near McGregor, who 
supposed that the Indians planted it at that place. However, it is na- 
tive near Dubuque and in Jackson county. Ferns are abundant. I never 
saw such an array of bulbous or bladderwoort ferns as I found near 
Green Island, hanging from the limestone rocks. The limestone talus 
and cliffs support another interesting fern, the Walking Leaf Fern. 
There are also the ostrich fern, the Osmunda and Spleenwort. Of ever- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 81 

green trees in this region mention might be made of the white pine, 
red cedar, dwarf juniper. The quaking aspen and large toothed aspen are 
common on the hills. An abundance of the green ash (Fraxinus lance- 
olata) the almond leaved willow (Salix amygdaloides), sand bar willow (S. 
fluviatile) black willow (S. nigra), cordate willow (S. cordata) and prairie 
willow (S. humilis) are common generally in low grounds, except the 
last named species which occurs in little openings on the hills. Roses 
(Rosa prantinicola and R. blanda) are plentiful in woods and prairies. 



si]GGestp:d and 
considered areas 



Clear Lake, Ccrro (iordo County. 

Calvin, Samuel 
[ones, Ira W. 
iVIcNiDER, Mrs. C. H. 
Netzer, G. M. 
SoNDROL, Mrs. Carrie P. 

Decorah. ^^'^nneshiek County. 

Bailey, Edwin H. 
HOADLEY, B. W. 
Lees, James H. 

Hardin County. 

Beyer, S. W. 
Foster, Frank E. . 
Pammel, L. H. 

Ledges, Boone County. 

Diehl, Wm. W. 
Henning, Carl F. 
Pammel, L. PL 

Palisades, Linn County. 

Lazell, Fred J. 
Lees, James H. 
Norton, William PL\rmon 

Pilot Mound. Hancock County. 

Gilbert, Winifred 
Macbride, Thomas H. 
McNider, Mrs. C. H. 
Secor, Eugene 

Sioux Granite. Lyon County. 

Beyer, Samuel Walker 
Wilder, Frank A. 

Woodman's LIollow. 

Drake, J. E. 

Findlay, Charles \'. 

Fuller, Hal C. 

Hart, Mrs. Pervilla Alsever 

Paige, F. W. 

Pammel, L. H. 

Wilder, Frank O. 



SUGGESTED AND CONSIDERED AREAS. 



WOODMAN'S HOLLOW AREA— ONE OF NATURE'S BEAUTY SPOTS. 
By Mrs. Pervilla Alsever Hart. 

Among the many beautiful and unique places along the Des Moines 
river, is a valley, or glen, known to the inhabitants of Otho as Woodman's 
Hollow. 

A long time ago, as early as 1855, it was owned by the government. 
Later, it became what is called, "River Land." 

It was bought and sold several times, and finally became the property 
of a man named Woodman, from whence it derived its name. 

The earliest inhabitants say that in 1855 the deer were running up and 
down the Hollow, and two wild cats were seen about one-half mile from 
the mouth of the Hollow. 

This picturesque place is situated on the Des Moines river, some over 
two miles east of the little village of Otho, which is on the M. and St. L. 
R. R. The Hollow is about one-half mile long, running east and west. 

At its source is a spring of clear, sparkling water, which feeds a small 
stream, running the entire length of the Hollow. 

On either side of the stream are walls of rock, rising ten and twelve 
feet in height, while the tops almost touch in places, as they grow out 
from the hills, of which they form a part. 

At the base of the rocks, the water has washed out the earth and left 
great, deep caverns, dark and weird looking, while out of the crevices and 
at the bottom, where the soil has washed down, there are tiny ferns pro- 
truding, and an occasional tree seed takes root, grows for awhile in a half- 
hearted, sickly manner, then dries up and dies. Sometimes, at irregular 
intervals, there are thrifty trees growing tall and straight, and reaching 
up, as though to catch the sunlight, beyond the gloom. 

Around the spring, at the beginning of the cave, the most beautiful 
white sand is found, clean and glistening. 

Above the chasm, and as though to shelter, it the trees spread their 
branches, interlocking their long arms on either side, and the sunlight 
glints through the branches on the rock bed below, while the roots are 
imbedded in the moist, rich earth, that forms the hill on either side. 

Years ago there was an abundance of small cedar trees on the bank, 
but most of them have been transplanted to ornament the homes and 
farms throughout the township. There are but few cedar trees left, ex 
cept several which were transplanted around the old Woodman house, 
which is now a thing of the past, but was once a beautiful home-like scene, 
on the north bank of the Hollow near its source. 

The trees growing along the Hollow are popple, basswood, and a great 
many oaks. There are also wild raspberries, gooseberries and choke 
cherries. 



86 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

But that which attracts the nature lover most is the abundance of 
ferns. Large and thrifty, they raise their airy fronds in the coolness and 
darkness, nodding and beckoning, living their simple sweet life all alone, 
only for the occasional passerby, and like the sweet wood violet, modest 
and unassuming. 

The dainty little maiden hair fern clinging to the rock or dropping 
from some overhanging cliff, where it finds footing, is hailed with delight 
by the fern lover. 

In the spring the little daisies, trillium, dutchman's breeches and wood 
violets, the sweet spring beauties and jack-in-the-pulpits grow round 
about where the sun reaches them, while below, in the fall the golden- 
rod and other autumn flowers make the hillside bright, while the many 
colored leaves, loosened from the trees by the fall breezes, sift down 
into the cavern, and make the rock floor bright, and soft, and comfortable. 
As the foliage becomes thinner, the sun glints down thru the openings, 
as tho he would warm, by his bright rays, the rocks, and earth, and tree 
roots. 

The moss, which is also luxuriant, tries to cover any unsightly places 
that nature has seemingly left, unfinished. 

In the winter the snow covered rocks and trees stand out as sentinels, 
to guard the delicate ferns and flowers asleep below. 

Woodman's Hollow is not rocky its entire length. At its beginning we 
see rocks on. either side and on the bottom. 

The opening is very narrow, so sightseers must travel single file. P 
gradually widens as it nears the river, until it measures about two hun- 
dred feet across its mouth. Here we find a beautiful island, on which is 
a large rock, w^hich, because of its shape, is called Steamboat Rock. 

As the Hollow broadens into a valley about ten or twelve rods from its 
source, the green grass and vegetation are quite rank, but there are no 
rocks.' 

Not far below Steamboat Rock is another beauty spot, called Boneyard 
Hollow, because of the bones found in the excavations of the mounds 
found there. But that is another story. 

About fifteen years ago Woodman's Hollow was famous for picnic 
parties, botanists, and all sorts of nature lovers. Names innumerable are 
carved on its walls of stone. There are picnic parties to some extent 
now, but of late it has been allowed to grow up to weeds, and great trees 
are blown down, lodging across the stream. But the beauties of nature 
are still there. 

The many rains, and the water from the river, which rises every spring, 
have washed the roots of the trees, down by the river, and they stand out. 
all naked and bare, while their great trunks rise above them, waving their 
long branches, inviting to the cool shade on the river bank. 

After resting, and enjoying a drink from the spring on the island, the 
traveler starts up, and up, and up, past the little meadow valley, into the 
coolness of the forest, between the rugged rock walls, over ihe bogs and 
moss covered rocks, crawling between and under the low hanging rocks, 
up, and up, and up to the little spring at the source, then out into the open 
prairie, the green grass and bright sunshine. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 87 

There is a public road running to within one-half mile of the mouth of 
the Hollow on the south, and another road runs north of the Hollow, about 
eighty rods from it. 

The beauty and grandeur, and vegetation are all there, and with a little 
work, this could be made one of the most beautiful nature spots on the 
Des Moiines river. 



WOODMAN'S HOLLOW AND WILDCAT DEN. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

Webster county is one of the most pleasant, from the scenic and 
scientific standpoint, in the Des Moines valley, as shown by the following 
letter from Mr. Price, of Ft. Dodge, Iowa, to the writer, in which he makes 
the following remarks: "Some time last year I wrote you regarding 
Woodman's Hollow, just east of Otho, in Webster county. At that time 
you mentioned a desire to have that glen set off as a state park. 

"For five years of my boyhood days, I lived in that vicinity, roamed the 
woods and explored all the many ravines formed by the small streams cut- 
ting through the sandstone formations on their way to the river. 

"Of course the forest conditions that then prevailed have been de 
stroyed and can never be replaced, but much of the natural beauty still 
remains and should be conserved. 

"Having friends and relatives still living in the neighborhood, I have 
made several visits there within the last two years and have gone over 
much of the ground where I once hunted, fished and wondered at the 
beauties of Nature. 

"I do not know whether you have further explored the immediate neigh- 
borhood and are acquainted with the wild country around the mouth of 
Prairie Creek east of the old David Douglas farm and south of the James 
Black farm. 

"To my mind that is the most practical site for a state park, as it is easy 
of access, has much of the natural beauty of Woodman's Hollow and is 
large enough to accommodate camping parties and to give sites for cot- 
tages. 

"There are several hundred acres of broken land of little use for either 
agriculture or grazing. It is true that the heavy woods that once covered 
all that section have been largely cut off, but many trees still remain and 
the conditions are much like a city park. 

"I visited the place last year and gathered nuts where I once roamed 
and found that very many people frequent the spot for outings. There 
were perhaps a dozen autos there that day and the supply of hickory 
and butternuts was ample for all. Good fishing is to be found all along 
the river near the mouth of the creek." 

Mr. O. M. Oleson and Mr. M. P. Somes, in speaking of the area in 
Webster county say: 

"Webster county lies just north and west of the geographical center of 
Iowa and is somewhat larger than any of the surrounding counties having 
an area of 720 miles. The county is primarily a prairie county, its only 



88 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

forests being narrow straps along the streams. The average elevation of 
the county as a virhole is about 1,100 feet. Along the Des Moines river, 
which crosses the county from north to south, the forest fringe varies 
from a quarter of a mile to more than three miles in width and is made 
up of such trees as oak, hickory, elm, ash, basswood and the like. Both 
branches of Lizard Creek are wooded and Soldier Creek and most of the 
other streams have more or less of woods along them. The larger part of 
the surface of the county is open rolling prairie with a soil of "Wisconsin 
Drift" for the most part with a few morainic hills of coarse gravel, most 
noticeable in the northern parts of the county, but some Isolated mounds 
in the south part are very striking. 

"The natural drainage system of the country is quite young and the 
stream systems are comparatively simple. As a result of these conditions 
marshes, ponds and sloughs of considerable area abound, although these 
areas are now being reclaimed by ditches. 

"In the southern part of the county the Des Moines and its tributaries 
flow through the Coal Measures Sandstones and thedr valleys are bounded 
by abrupt escarpments of the sandstone, with steep cliffs from forty to 
one hundred feet in height. 

"Another element which perhaps enters into the conditions producing 
such an abundant and varied series of plants here, is the fact that the 
portion of the country about Fort Dodge, in the central part of the county, 
is underlaid by beds many feet thick of gypsum or land plaster, and while 
it has been contended that these underlying beds have no direct influence 
on the vegetation of this section, the fact still remaiins that the area near 
the exposure of the gypsum beds, viz.: the valley of Two Mile Creek, or 
as it is more familiarly known Gypsum-Hollow, and the Des Moines valley 
near Blanden's Mill have an entirely distinctive flora from any other 
points, not only as to species but as to relative density of growth." 

Mr. J. F. Ford, of Fort Dodge, in a letter to the writer makes the fol- 
lowing state: "I can appreciate fully the sentiment that moves Mr. Price 
to call your attention to the scenic beauty as well as to the scientific value 
of Woodman's Hollow, just east of Otho. 

"I have been a little backward myself in calling the attention of the 
board to this and other places in this locality from the fact that there 
might be a tendency to criticise the board for selecting territory in the 
immediate vicinity of the homes of the members of the board. Neverthe- 
less, after seeing all of the territories that we have gone over in the past 
few weeks and hearing them described in the glowing terms that I have 
heard, I feel that I have something in this locality to show the members 
of the board that has not been surpassed in any of the territory gone 
over up to this time. One thing I am certain of, that without going out- 
side of the corporate limits of the city I can show the members of the 
board a view or vista, as it is termed, that is second to none on the Des 
Moines river in the state of Iowa. 

"Personally, there are a few places that I would like to have included 
in our recommendations and before our work \\x)uld be considered finished 
I should like very much to go over the territory referred to by Mr. Kelso 
in Jackson county, and I would like to have the opportunity of showing the 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 89 

members of the board some of, what I would call, the natural scenic 
beauty of the Upper Des Moines river as well as the lower. 

"In Mr. Price's letter he refers to the Herbert Pratt and Hudson Farms. 
I have known the Pratt and Hudson families for almost thirty years and 
the Black, he refers to, for at least forty years. I would not anticipate 
any difficulty in acquiring the property permitting access to Woodman's 
Hollow." 

This region is an interesting one. The carboniferous sandstone outcrops 
of the Des Moines are a continuation of these occurring along the lower 
Des Moines to Ottumwa. Cordova, Red Rock in Marion county, Des 
M'oines, the Ledges in Boone and at Frasier, where they are but slightly 
exposed. At Woodman's Hollow there are steep bluffs and narrow gorges 
and the Des Modnes river hows along the sandstone rock outcrops. The 
hills are heavily wooded with black, red, white and bur oak. There are 
two hickories, the pignut and shellbark hickory. The black walnut grows 
along the streams of the Des Moines and the butternut on the sides of the 
gorges. The slippery American and corky bark elm are common as well 
as the basswood and black maple. The soft or silver maple, American 
elm and cottonwood are common in the alluvial bottoms. The ironwood 
and large toothed aspen are common in the hills. Of the vines, moonseed, 
wild grape, bitter sweet, and Virginia creeper may be mentioned. Box 
elder, service berry, black, choke and piin cherry, American plum and wild 
crab apple, smooth sumach, poison ivy, honey locust, and coffee beans are 
not uncommon. Common elder and several haws are common. The hills 
are covered with wild roses and prickly ash. Lead plant occurs on the 
sandstone rocks and the wild indigo along the river. The red cedar oc- 
curs in considerable numbers on the exposed sandstone outcrops along 
the Des Mcvines. Swamp ash, red ash, alternate leaved dogwood, the silky 
cornel and panicled dogwood, and black haw, as well as arrowwood may 
also be mentioned. The region abounds in ferns, like the spleenwort, 
ostrich, maiden hair, walking leaf, cliff brake, the small bladder fern, 
several rare species of sedges also occur. Of the other herbaceous plants 
mention may be made of the lungwort, mandrake, bloodroot, hepatica, 
wind flower, prairie cone flower, black eyed susan, everlasting, Philadel- 
phia fleabane, silky leaved aster, hory gentian, sweet cicely, zizia, pim- 
pinella, meadow parsnip, polytaenia, evening primrose, sweet willcam, 
alum root, wild . strawberry, the common and the vesca, hog pea, vetch, 
two kinds of bush clover, tick trefoil, milk vetch, prairie clover, false in- 
digo, seneca snake root and the bastard toad flax, yellow violet, common 
bluebird foot violet. 

Many rare birds and mammals find refuge in this area. The region offers 
unusual facilities for the lover of plants. Owing to intensive grazing and 
the removal of the ostrich fern for cultivation, the region is apt in time, 
to lose its prairie aspect. The region is not far removed from Ft. Dodge 
and would give a large population easy access to spend" a few pleasant 
hours away from the busy toil of modern commevoial life. 



90 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

A LETTER ON WOODMAN'S HOLLOW. 
By Representative Charles V. Findlay. 

One of the beauty spots in Webster county, known locally as Wood- 
man's Hollow, in which as a boy, passing through the wonder age, I came 
often to this place to feed my fancy and lingered to marvel at its mys- 
teries, and later in life I have retreated to this wonder spot to learn more 
of its secrets and dig deeper into its hidden treasures. 

When I wandered through this Hollow forty years ago as a boy, I 
learned to know and appreciate trees and shrubs. I became intimately 
acquainted with many forest trees among them were the hard maple, 
black walnut, basswood, slippery elm. swamp ash, and the varieties of oak 
commonly found there. Among the shrubs could be found the buckthorn, 
moosewood, red cedar, wahoo dogwood and pin-cherry. 

For years the annual Christmas tree for the Otho church was selected 
from the red cedars that graced these ledges. No one suggested that the 
hand of depredation should be stayed. Today the naked cedar stumps 
stand out prominently on bold rock cliffs to condemn us for the thought- 
lessness of the early days. I have dug seedling cedars and transplanted 
them. Two magnificent specimens are now in the yard, on the old farm, 
grown from these little seedlings. These hills should be re-forested with 
the variety of trees and shrubs that have been the victims of ruthlessness. 

I remember the tramps in this woodland in May, that would bring one 
suddenly and unexpectedly upon a few yellow lady-slippers, or a little later 
when one should come across the large white variety, or luckily, in the 
earlier days, one could find an occasional orchid. But, alas, those sur- 
prises are now less frequent because this nook where nature was once so 
lavish in producing the unusual plants is now subject to pasturage where 
nothing is sacred. 

In the quiet nooks of Woodman's Hollow is to be found the paradise of 
ferns in unequaled beauty, variety and abundance. The ferns seen in the 
yards of Ft. Dodge residences have been secured from this supply which 
seems to be inexhaustible at this time, but they, too, must succumb to the 
inevitable unless some protection is offered. These rare plants are mere- 
ly weeds to many. 

I hope that this piece of woodland with its beautiful and rugged 
scenery, its sandstone ledges that cannot be duplicated in central Iowa, 
its noble trees, its rare wild flowers and shrubs, its cascades, its refuge 
for wild animals, and its retreat for the wild birds will some day be- 
come a state park. 

When one has answered the wanderlust and spent a day in Woodman's 
Hollow, he cannot emerge from these depths without a larger appreciation 
of plant life, bird life, animal life, a better understanding of the geological 
formation and the mighty forces once at work that elevated this forma- 
tion of the carboniferous age, and the vigorous erosion that followed and 
which is still silently at work on these massive walls. 

To read and ponder over these pages from the book of Nature is to be 
led to a higher appreciation of the "Author of Nature." 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 91 

BONE YARD HOLLOW. 
By Hal C, Fuller. 

Shooting out abruptly from the precipitous banks of the Des Moines 
river valley is Bone Yard Hollow, located two miles north of Lehigh. 
This hollow derived its name from the wagonloads of buffalo bones which 
have been unearthed there by the early settlers and later by the curio 
hunters who have found many fine specimens, not only of petrified bones, 
but arrowheads, Indian axes, and in 1915, a leaden plate was unearthed 
there with a Latin inscription which since has greatly interested his- 
torians. This leaden plate may attach to Bone Yard Hollow a national 
importance, for it is claimed that this plate was deposited there in 1701 by 
Father Hennepeh and explorers. Curator Harlan interested Archbishop 
Ireland in the find and chui'ch history was resorted to to prove the 
authenticity of the plate. 

Bone Yard Hollow is a narrow ravine running out perhaps three-quar- 
ters of a mile from the Des Moines river. A small creek flows at the bot- 
tom and the tiny valley between the perpendicular walls has a thick 
growth of small trees and farther back from the mouth of the ravine, ferns 
and other foliage growth is luxuriant. The abrupt cliffs on either side go 
up fifty to seventy-five feet, and it is claimed that in the days before the 
white man came to this locality that the Indians used Bone Yard Hollow 
for a trap for the buffalo. The bones of these animals which lay several 
feet in thickness, have been unearthed here. It is indeed one of the 
beauty spots of Iowa, besides being rich in early history. 



WILDCAT CAVE AND WOODMANS HOLLOW. 
By F. W. Paige and F. E. Drake. 

Wildcat Cave is about seven miles southeast of Fort Dodge and per- 
haps two miles from the railroad station of Evanston. The deep valley 
in which it is located is a picturesque bit of natural scenery. 

The valley is perhaps a Inile in length and of an average width of about 
a quarter of a mile. The hills on both sides rise to a length of two to 
three hundred feet. The upper end is heavily wooded. The lower por- 
tion is mostly open grass land and opens out on the Des Moines river 
Through its center, or cutting across from one side to the other, flows 
a brook, which, working through the long ages of the past is, un- 
doubtedly, the geological agency which formed it. Near the upper end 
where the valley abruptly widens is the cave — several of them in fact. 
This side of the valley for perhaps a distance of half a mile, is bounded 
by a perpendicular wall of rock, fifty or sixty feet in height, at the 
base of v/hich the ground slopes steeply to the valley below. A beaten 
path skirts the wall its entire length. The caves are fifteen or twenty 
feet in depth by thirty or forty feet wide, and of an average height of 
eight or ten feet. The rock is a soft sandstone with many large and 
small concretions embedded in it. 



92 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Above the caves, this wall of sandstone, carved and gullied by the 
weather, rises some fifty or sixty feet. Near by a path down a small ra- 
vine over a series of rock steps, gives access to the caves. The whole 
is thickly wooded and affords a retreat, which, on a hot day is deliciously 
cool. Just below the cave is a small spring of excellent drinking 
water. Above, the country is heavily wooded for some distance back, 
and both sides of the valley are clothed with trees. Just above the 
caves, there are excellent picnic grounds where the forest is open and 
the ground covered with greensward. This place is much resorted to 
for picnics, and is reached by a road through the woods. 

Many rare plants grow in the valley and on the surrounding hills, 
maiden-hair ferns are abundant on the slopes, and in the woods below, 
grow the beautiful Virginia grape fern (Botrychium Virginianum). The 
Clayton's fern (Osmunda Claytoniana), the lady fern (Asplenium filix- 
foemina), the fairest of all our Iowa ferns. A deep and shady ravine, 
known as Drakes Gulch, cuts into one side of the main valley. Tliis is 
a veritable fernery. The most abundant ground vegetation being the 
lady fern, with here and there the Dryopteris goldiana. But the most 
remarkable of all nature's productions is the walking fern (Camptosorus 
rhizophyllus), This peculiar plant, gi'owing on large rocks, sends out 
long, slender and pointed leaves. The end of the leaf rests upon the 
rock, takes root and forms a new plant, the old part withering away. 
The new plant repeats the performance until the fern has traveled clear 
across the rock. 

Woodman's Hollow is two or three miles southwest of Wildcat Cave, 
on the other side of the river. It is a deep narrow valley half the width 
of the former, and opens out on the Des Moines river. It is heavily 
wooded as is all the country in this section, for a mile or so back from 
the river. The sides of the little valley are very steep and the upper 
end narrows into a gorge, with a low, perpendicular rock cliff on each 
side. These rock walls are covered w;ith brilliant green mosses. It is 
. a beautiful and picturesque little valley, and under the dense shade of 
the trees grows another large fern, peculiar to this locality — the ostrich 
fern (Onoclea struthiopteris). A small stream, the excavator of the val- 
ley, flows through it 9,nd empties into the Des Moines. In close proximity 
to Woodman's Hollow are other ravines, cut deeply into the earth, and 
so densely shaded that they are cool on the hottest days. Many rare 
plants besides ferns are found in these valleys. These cool retreats 
furnish an entirely different flora from the uplands. Prom the high 
points, three or four hundred feet above the Des Moines, beautiful views 
of the river can be obtained. The valley of the Des Moines here is rather 
narrow, and the heavily forested sides plunge steeply down to the 
water. For sheer beauty of scenery, I have never seen anything that 
surpasses it, although my travels have extended from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 93 

GEOLOGY OF WEBSTER COUNTY. 
By Frank A. Wilder, Geologist. 

The Coal Measure sandstones are the striking stratigrapliic feature 
in the southern part of the county where a maximum thickness of sixty 
feet is exposed. Most of the layers are ferruginous, biLt near Lehigh 
the upper courses at certain points are cemented with carbonate of lime. 
The bond between the grains is slight when iron is the cementing sub- 
stance. The layers containing carbonate of lime, however, are firm and 
suitable for building. Typical exposures of these standstones may be seen 
on Prairie creek in Otho township, section 35, the so-called copperas beds, 
and at Wildcat Cave in Pleasant "Valley township, section 11 south- 
west quarter. 

Websiter county lies wholly within the area that was covered by the 
last great ice invasion, and the drift of this ice sheet, called the Wisconsin, 
forms almost everywhere the surface material. Limited areas covered 
by glacial material that had been recently reworked by streams, or by 
detnitus formed by the very recent weathering of cliffs along streams 
are the only regions not drift covered. So recently was this drift depos- 
ited that erosion has but slightly contributed to the topographic features 
of the county. Only ,in the immediate vicinity of the Des Moines river 
and its tributaries are the results of water action apparent. Viewed from 
the valleys of the streams, the landscape seems extremely rugged, and 
it is a matter of constant surprise that, in a region so typically prairie, 
scenery so beautiful abounds. The sides of the valley are steep and 
well wooded from top to bottom. After ascending the sharp slope, how- 
ever, the climber finds himself at once on the level prairie where often 
for miles he can see the stream as it flows through its V-shaped valley. 

The entire county is drained by the Des Moines river and its tribu- 
taries. Most of the branches rise within or barely outside of the county 
and while still within its limits unite with the parent stream. Lizard, 
Soldier, Deer, Holaday, Brushy, Skiller and Prairie creeks answer this 
description. East and West Buttrick creeks, which drain four town 
ships in the southwestern corner of the county, contribute their waters 
to the Raccoon which they meet in Greene county. The drainage system 
is not elaborate. None of the creeks in the county are perennial farther 
than a mile from their mouths. The creeks have no well developed 
subordinate feeders, and large stretches of country are dependent on arti- 
ficial drainage. The contrast that Webster county presents in this par- 
ticular with certain other parts of the state is made plain by a map 
drawn on a scale as limited as that of the railroad commissioners. The 
accompanying sketches which reproduce Ringgold and Webster counties 
illustrate fairly the difference in drainage between Webster county and 
the southern part of the state. Any county In the three tiers near the 
southern boundary would serve for contrast as well as Ringgold. 
Sloughs and ponds are common throughout Webster county, their .num- 
ber and size varying with the season of the year. The percentage of the 
land that is for this reason kept from cultivation, however, is not great 
Yearly the number of ponds is being reduced by artificial drainage.— Iowa 
Geological Survey, Vol. XII, pp. 8.5-6, p. 6f) and pp 72-3. 



94 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

THE PALISADES SHOULD BE A STATE PARK. 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Of all the beautiful places in Iowa which may claim the attention of 
the conservationists few are entitled to a larger share than the Pali- 
sades of the Cedar river. Rising sheer from the water's depth, decked 
with the everlasting green of the conifers which find root and resting 
place upon their perpendicular faces, they offer a never ending delight 
to all the aesthetic senses as well by their massive dignity and majesty 
as by the peaceful beauties of the scene of which they form so con- 
spicuous a part. For a space of two miles or thereabouts these rugged 
rock walls border the river, in the upper part of their extent chiefly 
on the east bank, in the lower part largely on the opposite side. The 
Palisades have always enjoyed a just popularity, with the country folk 
round about as well as with the people of the nearby towns, Cedar 
Rapids, Mouut Vernon and others, and the building of the interurban 
railway between Lisbon and Cedar Rapids, with its Palisade station only 
about a mile from the Upper Palisades, has increased this popularity in a 
degree commensurate with the increased ease of access. 

The Palisades are cut in limestone and dolomite of Silurian age, 
and the rough, rather coarse texture of the rock lends itself admirably 
to the handiwork of nature in carving out the massive, irregular walls 
which form the river gorge at this point. Bedding planes are almost 
absent and the entire face seems to be a solid, homogeneous escarp- 
ment, broken only by a cavern here and there or by minor etchings of 
the graving tools of time. Probably this homogeneity has been an im- 
iportant factor in preserving the Palisades from destruction or burial by 
the breaking down of masses of rock which would tend to conceal the 
bases, at least, of the vertical walls. Instead of this in many and in- 
deed in most parts of their extent the Palisades rise directly out of 
the water, above which they stand at heights of thirty, fifty and as much 
as eighty feet. The Palisades are not continuous walls but are broken 
here and there by lateral ravines which have been cut by wet weather 
streamlets rising in the uplands and the Mil country above the river 
valley. These ravines and gullies afford means of easy approach to the 
river and some of the larger have been utilized as building sites for some 
of the numerous summer cottages which dot the banks on either side 
of the river. Opposite the Upper Palisades and across the river, there 
is a low flood plain backed by fairly genitly rising hills. Across the 
stream from the Lower Palisades a narrow rock platform stands rather 
liigh above the water and behind it rise the hills, either as smooth slopes 
or broken by low brown walls of jutting rock. To the south this platform 
descends to a low flat. In places it is absent and the cottages here 
are built on the high slope which breaks off abruptly at the summit 
of the vertical river wall. 

Much of the country adjacent to the Palisades is still timber cov- 
ered, although of course little or none of it is primitive forest. A good 
deal of cutting is being carried on and as it is safe to say that adequate 
steps toward reforestation are not being taken there is danger that 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 95 

much of the beauty and charm of this region will be destroyed if means 
are not taken by the public to defend its own rights. It can not safely 
be forgotten that -the public has rights here, even though the land may 
be entirely under private ownership. The public is the first owner 
and its claims are paramount, though nearly always obscured and lost 
sight of by the more insistent demands of private possession. Judicious 
timbering, of course, may be beneficial, but intelligent application of 
the principles of forestry is rare. The writer has only recently seen 
example after example of wood cutting on steep slopes and hillsides 
which was leaving these spots bare and ugly, destroying the minor vege- 
tation and exposing the land to devastation by erosion, which will be 
certain to begin quickly and to work surely. 

One of the most striking features of the Palisades is the large num- 
ber of evergreen trees which dot their surface. These are found not 
merely as a fringe covering the summit of the walls, as is commonly 
the case in northern Iowa, but upon nearly the whole face may be seen 
the low spreading ground spruce or the gnarled, twisted, knotty trunk of 
the hardy cedar. No doubt this condition is due largely to the char- 
acter of 'the rock, which here weathers into an exceedingly uneven 
surface wliich gives some footing for the roots of these daring wanderers. 
The cliff making strata of northeastern Iowa, on the other hand, weather 
with smoother faces, and thus afford little opportunity for the growth 
of trees. But it is a never-ceasing wonder how these trees, hardy as they 
are, can find moisture and food sufficient to permit even a precarious ex- 
istence upon these barren rock walls. 

The Palisades of the Cedar are one of nature's parks. No one who 
has seen them even casually, as it were, will dispute that fact. The 
public should have ready access to and free use of the advantages and 
opportunities for rest and recreation and aesthetic development which 
they afford. This statement is equally axiomatic with the other. In such 
a case, therefore, it is time that the public, through its organized ma- 
chinery of government, should move forward and take steps to come 
into possession of its own. The cliffs, the river, the hills, the trees, the 
flowers, the birds are a group of jewels set by a master artist. Let one 
be mutilated or destroyed and the beautiful harmony of sight and 
color and sound will be impaired. Already the region is a game pre- 
serve. Let us make it also a rock preserve, a flower preserve and see 
that nature is given opportunity to continue the work so well begun. 



THE PALISADES OF THE CEDAR RIVER. 
By Fred J. Lazeli, Author. . 

There is much similarity between the Palisades of the Hudson and 
the Palisades of the Cedar. Both front the river in vertical cliffs; both 
afford the most picturesque scenery on the respective rivers; both were 
in danger of being despoiled by stone quarry operators and other com- 
mercial interests; and both areas ought to be state parks. New York 



96 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

and New Jersey have purchaKed the Palisades area, saved the famous 
cliffs from spoilation, and^ provided the people of both states with a 
splendid park. Iowa has not yet purchased the Palisades of the Cedar; 
but at least 100,000 persons in the eastern part of the state are earnestly 
hoping that this will be done. 

The Palisades area is located on the Cedar river between Cedar 
Rapids and Mt. Vernon, 15 miles from the former and 3 miles 
from the latter city. The entrance to the wooded area is within two 
miles of the famous Lincoln highway. The Nortliwestern railroad and 
the Cedar Rapids, Mt. Vernon and Iowa City Interurban both have sta- 
tions within three miles of the cliffs. From Cedar Rapids the place is 
easily reached by launch and motorboat. 

The cliffs are of the Upper Silurian dolomite, by McGee called Nia- 
garan, and by Hall, Norton and Keyes, the Le Claire. For more than 
a mile they run straight up from the water, from fifty to one hundred 
feet high. The cliffs apparently consist of one massive layer of dolo- 
mite, undivided by bedding planes, although there are variations in the 
hardness and the texture of the rocks which produce great holes and 
caverns, locally called "blowouts". On the east side of the river citizens 
of Mt. Vernon, Cedar Rapids and Chicago have purchased land for sum- 
mer cottages, along a small portion of the river front. But this inter- 
feres very little with the aggregate area which is all wooded for a dis- 
tance of more than, a mile north and south and a widtli of half a mile 
east of the river. On the west side of the river there are but one or 
two houses. The whole area is well timbered with many fine old white 
oaks, ash, elms, red and white hickory, black and white walnut, linden, 
red and yellow oak, aspen and hop hornbeam. 

Drainage from the hills above, aided by springs from the base of the 
cliffs have broken great waterways through this Le Claire escai'pment. 
These are locally called hollows, viz. Spring Hollow, Dark Hollow, Sleepy 
Hollow, etc. At Spring Hollow you must walk from the river half a mile 
up and across the creek seven times until you come to its source, a bub- 
bling spring gushing from the pure sand at the base of a forty-foot cliff. 

These lofty cliffs are fringed with some fine specimens of red cedar, 
some of them more than a foot in diameter. Down the northerly faces 
of the oliff the Texus canadensis commonly called American yew, or 
ground hemlock, sprawls luxuriantly, making a most beautiful picture 
at all seasons of the year. This is said to be the most southern limit 
for the growth of this interesting plant. 

On the brinks of the cliffs the shadtree breaks into clouds of snowy 
sweetness, during April showers and sunshine, when the doors of the 
spi'ingtime have swung wide open to admit the passage of birds and 
flowers. On the rocky ridges the Viburnum dentatum, prickly ash and 
the American bladdernut are mingled with the commoner Iowa shrubs. 
Most of the area has never yet been pastured. In the lesser ravines, 
as yet unprofaned by the hoofs of cattle, the cyprepediums, the Orchid 
spectabile, and the Pogonia penduala, are still to be found by those who 
search out beauty a.s a hunter seeks for game. 




u 



PQ 




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PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 97 

On the northern sides of the great hollow Marchantia covers the moist 
faces of the rocks like a carpet sometimes in patches twenty feet square. 
Campanula rotundifolia is abundant, while Polupodium vulgare and Pei- 
lea atropurpureum are not rare. Cystoperis fragilis and Bulbifera are 
common and the Woodsia obtusa may also be found. In the ravines Botry- 
chium virginianum and Phegopteris nexagonoptera may also be collected, 
the latter often growing with Asplenium angusitifolium. On portions of 
the alluvial area the giant fronds or the plume-like fruiting fronds of the 
ostrich fern may be found. 

Great masses of talus are covered with the Oamptosorus rhizophyllus 
the walking fern, which ds perhaps more abundant at the Palisades than 
In any other place in Iowa. With this walking fern grow some of 
the finest of the mosses, such as the Climacium Americanum or tree 
moss, the Thuidium delicatulum and other fern mosses with Pohlia 
elongata where the water trickles down the rocks and great masses 
of the yellow-green Brachythecium oxycladon upon the prostrate trunks 
of trees laid low by many a mighty torrent. 

Hydrophyllum appendiculum the appendaged waterleaf and the com- 
moner form H. virginicum, grow in profusion among the talus at the 
bases of the cliffs, together with the bladdernut, the ninebark and the 
burning bush. The one-flowered cancer root, Aphllyon uniflorum and 
the Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora) are plentiful. There is something 
to delight the eye and to stimulate the mind at every season of the year. 

In the caverns up the faces of the cliffs, the turkey vulture some- 
times rears her young and occasionally you may see her sitting in the 
opening with her big wings spread to the sun as your boat glides by. 
High on the hills, beneath her two speckled eggs in a small depression 
among last year's leaves and not far away may sometimes be found 
the nest of the ruffed grouse, a bird becoming all too rare in our state. 
Occasionally one may find this bird sitting on her nest and still more 
rarely stumble on the young chicks newly out of the shell — so recently 
indeed that the mother bird has hastily ranged them around the edge 
of the nest until she has time to carry them farther away. The blue 
gray gnat catcher and the Acadian fly catcher ai"e other interesting 
birds of this beautiful bit of woodland, both of them nest there. So 
does the prothonotary warbler. The blue grosbeak, very rarely seen in 
Iowa, is also found here. The nests of the cardinal grosbeak and the 
Cedar waxwing are common. There are hundreds of phebe's nests on 
the faces of the cliffs, near the surface of the river and above the little 
brooks in the hollows. These nests are built of moss and are fastened 
in the little pockets of the rock. 

Some of the rare wild animals of the state frequently are found here. 
The badger which was once reported extinct for Iowa is fairly com- 
mon, so is the opossum — almost the northern limit for this marsupial. 
The raccoon, the skunk and the mink are plentiful, also the groundhog 
and occasionally a fox or a wolf. 

The Palisades area is of the utmost scientific value for the state 
university at Iowa City, Cornell college at Mt. Vernon and Coe college 
at Cedar Rapids. Students from all of these institutions spend much 
7 



98 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

time there. It has also many recreational advantages and if preserved 
as a state park with warden to protect it against vandalism would give 
enjoyment to tens of thousands of the state's population and also pre- 
serve some of the natural beauty that makes lowans envied by visitors 
from less fortunate states. 



GEOLOGY OF THE PALISADES. 

By William Harmon Norton, Geologist. 

The Le Claire beds reappear at Mt. Vernon and Lisbon, and on the 
Cedar they outcrop at intervals from the south county line to Ivanhoe 
bridge. Above this point they front the river in vertical cliffs, locally 
called the Palisades, nearly to Cedar Springs hotel southeast of Bertram. 
The outcrops gradually increase in height from the county line until 
about a quarter of a mile below the hotel where the maximum height of 
eighty-nine feet above water is reached. From this point (Twp. 82 N., 
R. VI W., sec. 14, NW qr., NW ^4) the Le Claire rapidly sinks and, in 
less than half a mile, disappears beneath the flood plain of the river. 
From the summit to the base these cliffs are, for the most part, formed 
of one massive layer undivided by bedding planes and unbroken by 
lithological alterations. While the road is broadly homogeneous, there 
are slight variations in hardness and texture, producing cavernous re- 
cesses in its waJls and the irregular relief characteristic of long weath- 
ered surfaces of this dolomite. Near water level rude and inconstant 
courses, approximately horizontal, appear in places. Below Ivanhoe 
bridge bedding becomes more distinct and extensive in the rock, the dip 
being gentle and somewhat various. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. IV, 
pp. 129-0. 



CLEAR LAKE SHOULD BE A STATE PARK. 

From a Letter From Ira W. Jones to Secretary E. R. Harlan About 

Clear Lake. 

I wish to call your attention in this matter to Clear Lake, and before 
the property has been definitely selected for purchase would like to 
have the privilege of taking up with your commission a proposition 
for a state park bordering upon Clear Lake. 

Considering the great number of tourists that come here from all over 
the state and even out of the state, I do not believe there is another 
place in the state where the people generally would receive so much 
benefit from a state park as they would at Clear Lake. 

I wouW be glad to hear from you regarding this and as to when and 
where it would be possible to take up the matter with you. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 99 

CLEAR LAKE. 

By Mrs, C. H. McNider. 

•Mrs. Carrie P. Sondrol who represents our interes-ts at Clear Lake 
will send you something of the siituation there. Mrs. Sondrol has worked 
faithfully for several years trying to arouse the business men and others 
to the importance of providing for the future by setting aside certain 
tracts of woodland bordering on the lake. This has been too long 
neglected, but there are still available a few desirable tracts of good 
size to choose from and also a number of attractive small spots which 
I think should be considered even though they are not on the market, 
but they are especially suitable for resting and picnic places for motor- 
ists and to provide passersby with a glimpse of the lake. 

The greater part of the shore is bound to be used for cottages within 
a few years and if any of its beauty is to be saved for the enjoyment and 
use of the public, it must be reserved soon, and the kind of recreation 
which these pleasant shaded places would provide is greatly needed for 
the comfort of the crowds of visitors who are attracted by the lake. 



CLEAR LAKE. 
By Mrs. Carrie P. Sondrol. 

One of the favorite sites for a lake park lies just south of the town 
of Clear Lake. This tract covers about fifteen acres and is virtually as 
nature left it. One of its most attractive features is the outlet of the 
lake which divides it along the north end, here especially may be found 
native wild flowers in abundance. Among these may be mentioned tim- 
ber violets (Viola cucullata), blood root (Sanguinaris canadensis), bell- 
wort (Uvularia perfoliata), wild spikenard (Simlacina racemosa), Solo- 
mon's seal (Polygontum biflorum), wood anemone (Anemone quinque- 
folia), wrild strawberry (Rose rubiginosa), spotted touch-me-not (Impa- 
tiens biflora), many asters, daisies and golden rod. Along the edges 
of the outlet may be found the broad leaved arrow head (Sagittaria lati- 
folia), blue iris, or Fleur-de-lis (Iris versicolor), and later the cattail 
and burr-reed. The land is well sodded to native grass. The trees are 
all native and include basswoods, elms, burr oaks, jack oak, ash, hickory, 
willow and a few butternut, wild crab and thorn apple. Many of these 
are large, splendid specimens which add greatly to the land value, from 
the conservation standpoint. Another important factor in favor of this 
strip of ground is that it is comparatively long for its acreage, giving 
a greater lake frontage where the beach is sandy and slopes gently out to 
the deeper water. 

Further to the south of the lake is another strip of native timber 
varying from 100 to 500 feet in width with about one mile of 
shore line. The soil here varies from stretches of almost pure sand 
to bluffs of clay rising from 40 to 50 feet above the level of the 
lake. With the variation in soil we find a greater number of natural 



100 PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

wild flowers including besides those above mentioned many milkweeds 
and thistles, wild columbine, meadow rue, wood and Turk cap lilies, 
spiderwort and others. The timber varies more in size but includes 
practically the same species. 

The abundance of timber and natural bushes makes both of these 
sites favorite haunts for many of our summer birds, while the water 
attracts the King Fisher, an occasional woodduck and others not com- 
monly found. 

Walnut Grove on the north shore of Clear Lake is a beauty spot note- 
worthy and deserving of attention because of the trees which give it 
its name. The grove itself comprises about ten acres, is accessible to 
the lake and surrounded by a country of surpassing picturesqueness. II 
is well w'ooded with a second growth of walnut trees, some oaks and 
other varieties, and has the advantage of lying near the corporation line 
with an adjoining golf course. But it is the walnut trees and their 
preservation that appeals to the conversationist and it is in tihem that 
the desirability of this tract of land lies. 

Situated on the south shore of the crystal waters of Clear Lake, is a 
spot that thrills the spectator with its natural beauty. It is known as 
the Oakwood Park Hotel grounds and is a point that juts into the lake 
giving a view that includes nearly the entire shore line. To the left is 
the beautiful island with its high banks and wooded slopes; directly 
in front, on the north shore, is the town of Clear Lake, with its hotels 
and summer cottages on the water's edge, while to the right, the view 
includes a broad expanse of sparkling water with the entire heavily 
wooded east shore. To the lovers of nature it presents a picture never 
to be forgotten. 

The bank varying in height from ten to twenty feet, slopes to the 
water's edge, and is covered with native vines, sumac, bittersweet, and 
small shrubs, and in season is bright with wild honeysuckles and sweet 
Williams. In the foreground is a picturesque thorn apple of great beauty, 
while all about are stately trees. The elm predominates, but linden, 
ash, oak and hackberry are all represented. This tract comprises about 
700 feet of lake shore and with the adjoining unplatted ground contains 
several acres. 

The largest tract of undeveloped timber bordering on the lake, is the 
Parker property on the southwest shore. It contains about thirty acres 
with about eighty rods of water front. All this is heavily wooded and 
much as nature made it. The trees are large and very plentiful, includ- 
ing nearly every variety native to this latitude. Elm, oak and linden 
are the most numerous, though ash, butternut and black walnut, cherry 
and hackberry are very common. Wild flowers of all kinds are abund- 
ant, and the woods resound with the songs of native birds. This 'is one 
tract of lake shore of surpassing beauty that has escaped so far the 
commercialism that many of our tracts of lake shore have met with 
and would make a park with an abundance of shore line, clothed in the 
beauty with which nature endowed it. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 101 

SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY OF CLEAR LAKE. 
By Samuel Calvin, Geologist. 

No surface streams flow into 'Clear Lake. Union and Clear Lake 
townships are practically destitute of developed drainage courses. The 
storm waters flow from the hills to the lower levels, but here they move 
sluggishly along the bottoms of broad grassy swales or through sedgy 
marshes and, before being gathered into definite streams, are largely 
lost, partly by evaporation and partly by percolation into underground 
channels. The popular belief among the local inhabitants that Clear 
Lake, which receives no surface streams, must be fed by springs, is 
doubtless true, for it would be reasonable to suppose that some of the 
water that sinks into the ground in the hilly regions north and south 
of the lake, would find its way along the horizons of sand and gravel 
into the lake bed. The undrained, saucer-shaped marshes or kettle holes 
characteristic of the morainic area were noted under the head of 
topography, and it was also noted that the basin of Clear Lake is only 
a large kettle hole, or depression in the drift materials of the moraine, 
and is not necessarily connected with any special configuration of the 
underlying indurated rocks. — Iowa Geological Survey, Annual Report, 
1896, Vol. VII, p. 142. 



CLEAR LAKE, AN IOWA PLAYGROUND. 
By G. M. Netzer. 

To have lake breezes blow fresh and full across one's face; to drink 
in the tonic of invigorating lake air; to see the sky other than through 
a smoke film; to see the moon in its greatest glory and the sunsets 
painted in multi-color; and to live real close to nature — all these await 
the visitor who makes Clear Lake, Iowa, his home for a summer season. 

It is natural, then, that men and women, and particularly the men 
and women of Iowa, should go to Clear Lake to enjoy that sort of a va- 
cation, which leaves them refreshed and rested in mind and body. 

The resort never has to point twice to the same endowment or to 
play twice its themes of enjoyment. It has given vacation a new mean- 
ing and recreation a wider range. This is pleasing to the visitor and of 
immense satisfaction to the hospitable people of Clear Lake, who bid 
them welcome. Clear Lake feels secure in its prestige, yet eager to 
induce others to make the discovery for themselves. Pages might be 
written, piling statistics of this latent power to please, yet that would 
not suffice to give one in need of an outing the true conception of this 
charm, so seldom found among playgrounds for gi'ownups. 

Imagine, to begin with, a great fertile area of agricultural Iowa, 
teeming with its fruitage of corn, kindred grains and its stock, tilled and 
kept by a husbandry alive to every modern means of comfort and thrift. 
Let imagination lead you through these fields traced by trunk lines of 
the chief railroads of the middle west, which contribute their service to 



102 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

make enjoyable the journey from home to this pleasing ground. The 
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; the Chicago & Northwestern; the Chi- 
cago Great Western; the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, and the Minne- 
apolis & St. Louis join their steel lines, continental in extent, within 
ten miles of the lake shore. To ride over these lines in the richly ap- 
pointed trains, to the man in health, seeking rest and recreation, to 
watch the bulging farmsteads, the sentinels of the surrounding wealth- 
giving fields, is a pleasure of rare worth. Before the visitor even comes 
to the final stage of his journey he will experience the thrill of a new 
life, and when he again selects a vacation spot, it will be Clear .Lake. 

The farthest corners of the state are but a scant twelve-hour journey 
from Clear Lake; Illinois and Wisconsin points but little ifiarther. 
Marshalltown, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Des Moines, Dubuque and Fort 
Dodge are but one-half the distance, and intervening points to these 
important Iowa centers have no difficulty at all in making the journey. 

An interurban line, with hourly service, links up the last lap of the 
journey. 

Clear Lake is no new discovery. It dates back to the glacial age. 

Nature did not drop this lake down among mountains where it would 
be robbed of much of its charm by their majestic loftiness. Nor need 
the traveler seek amidst desert sands for this prize playground. None 
of these. Nature, that kindly god-mother of all ministering agencies 
of mankind, stole out upon the open plains, where her children now 
dwell upon her yielding fields, scooped out the firmer sod and filled the 
basin with laughing, shimmering water. 

And when the lake was found, her discoverers could think of no 
more fitting name as they looked into her cooling depths and watched 
the waves wash and tumble the whitened pebbles along the shore line, 
than "clear," and Clear Lake it has remained. The name is not famous, 
only as pleased pilgrims give it fame. 

Men who are able to read nature's book with the keenness of the 
student mind, record that Clear Lake of itself, is distinct. It claims 
no kinship to any other body of water. Lakes go in families and owe 
their being to parentages geologically traceable. The thousand and 
one lakes that dot north Iowa and Minnesota are in groups and belong 
one to the other. But Clear Lake is none of these. It is unique, alone, 
an orphan among the lakes. 

No underground channels lead from the beds of other lakes to thereby 
rob her of her waters in time of need. Her waters are not bom of 
the fleeting snow. No growling glacier disturbs her in her bed, nor does 
she owe aught to the whimsical shower. Her waters are fed from foun- 
tains of perpetual springs, safely hidden beneath her surface, whence 
no one has yet gone and returned to tell of them. 

Peace rests with her. No restless spirit troubles her. No dangerous 
reefs or hidden shoals fret the mind of the amateur boatman to make his 
voyage dangerous or uncertain. Fitful gusts and sudden squalls seek 
her fair surface. Childhood and youth may plow her waters with secur- 
ity. There are no shelving shore lines to trap the unwary. The clean 
white sand of the lake bed receded from the surface of the water inch 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 103 

by inch, leaving ideal conditions for the sports of bathers and where 
children may play as secure from harm as if they were upon the 
lawns of their cottage homes. 

If the visitor wishes to live under canvas, the wish may be gratified, 
for ample space will be afforded upon which he may pitch his tent. 
If, on the other hand, he desires a more conventional habitation, hun- 
dreds of cottages stand invitingly open; as n'any homes will afford him 
a welcome, and choice of hotels will minister to his need. 

There are the country club, the golf links, tennis and dancing. There 
are drives and promenades, shady trees or open grass plots — all pleading 
for his attention. And with all these comes the rarest of all outdoor 
diversions — boating, bathing, fishing and picnicking. So, exhausted vi- 
tality is coaxed back, if not in one way, then in another. 

Watercraft of all descriptions invite the visitor's indolence, his prow- 
ess or his daring. Red-devil racers and sharp-keeled yachts stir his 
sporting blood. Launches flit or sway with easy grace hither and 
thither. Rowboats fleck the surface and respond to every effort at the 
oarlocks. With generous courtesy the visitor will be shown the haunts 
of pickerel and pike, where the rock bass hide and the croppy and 
sunfish make their homes and where the trout and the bluegills and 
kindred finsters may be angled. He can be sure that each season's 
catch will not be less than the preceding, for care is taken to lib- 
erally restock whenever the finny tribe show signs of depletion. 

And then for the daily plunge. No place along the shore boasts 
of advantages over another. There is sure to be variety of depth and 
the proverbial shingly bottom. Tired of paddling around, he may take 
the chutes for a thriller or two. 

Then, camera in hand, you may go on a voyage of discovery. Kodak- 
ing is now one of the common arts. The result will be some rare 
gems of memory to keep green the lure of Iowa's happiest playground. 



IN THE SWITZERLAND OF IOWA. 
By Edwin 0. Bailey. 

The history of Deoorah dates from June 10, 1849. On that day an 
emigrant wagon, following an Indian trail, found its way to a large 
spring near the banks of the Upper Iowa river. The dominating spirit 
of that little band of pioneei-s was "Mother" Day, its other members 
being her husband and three sons. "Uncle Billy," as the elder Day was 
known, had chosen a location some dozen or more miles southeast on a 
beautiful prairie, but when "Mother" Day sa.w it she would not locate 
where running water did not exist. The trek was resumed, and this 
may be regarded as fortunate for the present day residents of the lo- 
cality that she chose as her home, for her arrival marked the beginning 
of a settlement that in a few years became a thriving village and that 
later developed into one of Iowa's most beautiful and prosperous cities. 



104 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Near the spring referred to the Days built a log cabin. They were 
Virginians of the better type, and an inherent hospitality made them 
logically the keepers of the first place of entertainment for the weary 
traveler. Here had been the . "Neutral Ground" where the Winnebago 
Indian was free from molestation by the more warlike members of other 
tribes. Winneshiek and Waukon-Decorah were chiefs of the tribe, 
and it was from these two that the county and the town derived their 
names. The Day hotel was known as "The Winneshiek," a name that 
has clung to the successors of their humble cabin hostelry. 

Not until 1853 did the population of Decorah ishow a marked increase, 
but from then on its growth was both rapid and substantial. In 1860 it 
claimed 1,200 souls. In those days, when the stage coach was the chief 
means of travel, the known settlements of importance west of the 
Mississippi were Dubuque, McGregor's Landing, Decorah, Fort Atkinson, 
Rochester and St. Paul. The Indians told of Minnehaha Falls but never 
spoke of Minneapolis, for it was not. 

Among the early settlers of this region there came many of foreign 
birth. Norway was most generously represented and the descendants of 
these early pioneers, with others that came later now number about 40 
per cent of the population of the county. They settled mostly near De- 
corah and it is to their credit that the first school of the county grew 
out of their desire for education. The building which housed this, 
school still stands. 

In 1853 there came directly from the University of Christiania, Nor- 
way, Rev. Vilhelm Koren. A cultivated gentleman of aristocratic line- 
age, he saw a field here among his countrymen and with his wife 
took up his residence in a log cabin a few miles south of Decorah, His 
parish was known as "Little Iowa," but it extended from the Missis- 
sippi west and north over Iowa and into Minnesota for a distance of 
a hundred miles or more. The same year that he took up his work 
here the Norwegian Lutheran Synod of America was formed. The 
natural outgrowth of this organization was a church school that com- 
bined scholastic and religious training. After an existence of about 
two years at Half-way Creek, Wisconsin, Luther college was moved to 
Decorah in 1861. It was largely through the instrumentality of Rev. 
Koren that this change came about, and in anticipation thereof he se- 
cured an option on a sightly location just at the northwest edge of the 
town. Here a handsome building was erected. Later years have seen 
modest efforts at landscape gardening and the adornment of the campus 
with other buildings. From its drives beautiful views along the Upper 
Iowa river may be obtained. On its campus spirited athletic contests are 
staged, and in the spring and early summer evenings may be heard 
open air concerts by the best college baud in the United States. 

Nature has been very kind to Decorah, Surrounded by hills that, in 
the eyes of dwellers on the prairies, seem almost like mountains, the 
city lies in a bowl through which winds the river. In this mirror is re- 
flected the foliage of the hills. Rising almost from the water's edge 
high bluffs with outcroppings of Trenton limestone greet the eye. In 
one of these, just north of the business portion of the city, is located 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 105 

one of nature's natural refrigerators — a cave where ice forms during 
the heat of summer, only to disappear as winter comes on. 

The Decorah ice cave is really one of the scientific wonders of the 
world; Theories have been advanced by a number of scientists as to the 
formation of ice in it, but at best they are only theories and must be 
accepted as such. The only explanation that the layman can offer 
is that it is nature's refrigerator, 'the ice being formed by air currents 
passing through the chambers of the cave and out through a small aper- 
ture in the top of the bluff aibove the cave. The quantity of ice seems 
regulated by the amount of moisture in the ground. In seasons of ex- 
cessive moisture ice will form to a thickness of six inches on the walls 
of the cave, but in seasons of drouth the quantity is small, sometimes 
disappearing altogether, though the cave will be damp and very cold. 
The only other ice caves of importance known to the scientific world 
are located in Kentucky and Russia. 

An ice well also exists in Decorah; it is located on a hillside in the 
south part of the city, a mile or more from the ice cave. It has been 
known to freeze over during the month of May. 

A scenic road has been built that passes this cave, and near its 
western terminus the visitor oomes upon a sequestered nook in a val- 
ley where Dunning's spring gushes from the rocks and tumbles down the 
hillside for a distance of sixty feet or more in its haste to swell the 
waters of the Upper Iowa. The courage to scale the heights above this 
spring will be rewarded by a view of ravishing beauty. In the fore- 
ground the habiliments of a clean, prosperous city glint in the sun- 
shine, while across the highlands may be seen the comfortable homes 
of thrifty farmers, and the spires of churches where they gather re- 
ligiously to acknowledge the boons that a kind providence has bestowed 
upon them. 

Passing out through west Decorah, Pulpit Rock comes into view. At 
a point where the road turns the elbow of a hill there rises a pillar of 
stone that reminds one of the high pulpits of olden times. Following the 
road a little farther the tourist comes upon a stream that, when pur- 
sued to its source, is found to be fed by two springs. It is the natural 
home of the trout and many a speckled beauty has been lured from 
its hiding place under the banks, but lest the reader may be making 
plans for a raid upon it, let me say that the Decorah Rod and Gun club 
has caused the stream to be posted and no fishing is allowed at present. 
Beautiful pines and hardwood trees line the hills here. In the spring 
anemones, hepaticas and blood roots, dog toothed violets, trilliums 
and Dutchman's breeches, followed later by purple violets, bloom in 
profusion, while nodding in the breeze near by are stately ferns and 
the finer maiden hair awaiting to take their place in the boquet. 

Retracing our steps we swing to the right and soon are passing over 
the Dug Way. Through a fringe of trees the water of the river sparkles 
only a few feet away, but rising over one's head is another of those 
limestone bluffs, pierced by ravines that issue a silent invitation to 
him who would explore. 



106 PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

It is above this bluff that is located one of the most inviting spots 
to be found in the whole state of Iowa — the city park. For years this 
wooded tract was a favorite playground of the youth of the town. Some 
years the people gathered under its inviting shade for Memorial day or 
Fourth of July exercises, and picnics were frequently held here. Not 
until it threatened to be sold and used for farming operations were 
the people aroused to the real beauty of the spot. Several years 
previous it had been offered to the city for park purposes at a modest 
sum, but at that time no one seemed interested. Even when the dan- 
ger of losing it permanently became real, only prompt action saved it 
to the city. Under the direction of a duly constituted park commission 
drives have been laid out, pavilions, look-outs and structures of stone 
In ornamental design erected, and playground fixtures installed for 
the entertainment of children. Tables for picnics are placed here and 
there, and during the summer band concerts are given on Sunday aft- 
ernoons and evenings. The fame of the park has traveled far. No 
attempt has been made to beautify it in the way that is frequently em- 
ployed in larger cities — this has not been necessary because nature has 
provided for that, leaving for man comparatively minor details. Peopl? 
come long distances to spend the day here, and on Sundays and holi- 
days one is sure to find cities 50 to 100 miles distant represented in the 
throngs. The views up and down the river from the park have often 
been compared to those of greater fame in foreign lands. 

Nature has not been alone in making Decorah a place worth visit- 
ing. Her citizens realize the worth and pleasure of inviting surround- 
ings and have built homes that compare favorably with those of larger 
cities. Her business streets are paved and the thoroughfares throughout 
the residence districts are well kept. The enterprise of the community 
is further reflected by public buildings of substantial and beautiful pro- 
portions. Among these are the Grand Opera house, Winneshiek hotel 
and the Decorah hospital, all built by private subscription. A courthouse 
costing $200,000 stands on an eminence in the center of the city and is 
flanked on one side by the government postofflce, built at an expense 
of $65,000 while on two other sides are four of the leading churches. 

Decorah has long been known as an educational center. In addi- 
tion to Luther college there are excellent public schools, and Valder 
college where commercial and normal training are featured. Print- 
ing is one of the chief industries. There are three English news- 
papers, the largest weekly Norwegian newspaper in America, and 
the publishing house of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Four banks 
with combined resources of over $3,000,000 testify to the flnancial 
stability of the community. The city owns a splendid water system. Two 
wells supply water that passes the severest test for purity. Last year 
a complete sewer system costing nearly $200,000 was installed. Gas 
and electric franchises are owned by private corporations. Decorah is 
the business center for the Interstate Power company, operating plants 
in Decorah, Waukon, Cresco, Postville and Lansing, and owning two 
dams on the Upper Iowa river that rank second in power development in 
Iowa to the big dam at Keokuk. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 107 

Deoorali is at the terminus of the Decorah division of the Rock Island 
. railroad, and is also served by the Milwaukee road, connection with the 
main lines being made at Calmar, twelve miles distant. It is also on 
the Imperial and Burlington highways. 

As I approach the close of this article I realize that I have drifted 
somewhat from the original purpose of telling why Decorah is one of 
the places that lovers of nature at her best should visit, but when 
a man has lived all his life amid such surroundings, growing up with 
its citizens and knowing all that they have endeavored to accomplish, it 
is but natural to wish to give them credit for their part in making this 
one of Iowa's worth while cities. 

Come and visit us. The latch-string is always within reach and will 
lead to a cordial welcome. — Iowa Magazine, April, 1918. 



THE DECORAH ICE CAVE. 
By B. W. Hoadley. 

The Decorah ice cave, located in the face of the bluff, on the north 
side of the river opposite Decorah, is the most interesting of the many 
caverns which the Galena limestone contains. The walls of this cave, 
dry and bare in the autumn and early winter, are coated, during the 
spring and early summer, with a layer of ice. 

The cave is merely one opening into a vast network of fissures; pene- 
trating the underlying rocklayers for miles around. In the fall as the air 
cools and contracts in volume, it enteis the cave from which it emerges 
as a cool draught when the sun's warmth again penetrates the rock 
layers. At the mouth of the cave, where the expansion is the most 
rapid, ice forms on the north wall. The cold, then, is merely the stored 
up cold of the former winter. 



ONEOTA RIVER AT DECORAH. 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Decorah has splendid possibilities for park areas. The entire river 
valley here is beautiful and majestic in its proportions. It is carved 
nearly 300 feet into the solid limestone and great cliffs and towers lift 
their massive forms scores upon scores of feet above the placid river 
flowing past their feet. One of the most magnificent of these cliffs is 
just below the steel bridge across the river at the northeast edge of 
town. This cliff rises vertically to a height of over 150 feet above 
the water and beyond its crest the somewhat gentler slope rises an- 
other 100 feet and more. A great number of conifers crown the summit 
and upper part of this escarpment and stand out in bold relief from the 
deciduous trees amongst them. 



108 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Between the steel bridge and Mill Spring ravine, nearly a mile up- 
stream, is a noble bluff, steep everywhere and in places precipitious or 
vertical. Trees cover it wherever they can obtain foothold and here and 
there beetling rock precipices stand out among the foliage. The spot of 
greatest interest in this locality is the Ice cave, which is situated per- 
haps midway along the bluft as well as about the center of its 250 feet 
of elevation. The local Commercial Club has built a road along the 
face of this bluff and from here a fine view may be obtained across the 
valley to the opposite wall, as well as up and down the river. Mill 
Spring, at the upper end of this drive, is an unusually large one, even 
for this land of abundant springs. It comes boiling and bubbling out of the 
rock at the base of a great cliff which springs nearly a 100 feet straight 
upward. Thence the stream, four or five feet wide and several inches 
deep, dashes down over the loose rocks, along the narrow ravine and 
into the river. The spring is at the mouth of a great cavern which re- 
sembles the Ice cave, but is blocked by fallen rock masses. It undoubtedly 
was once similar to the Ice cave in both nature and mode of origin. At 
the mouth of Mill Spring ravine there is a deposit of tufa which once 
evidently filled the mouth but has been partly cleared away. What was 
the origin of this peculiar deposit? It is composed of lime which was 
doubtless dissolved from the limestone rocks of the region and was re- 
deposited here, perhaps by the water of the spring at some time when 
it did not have free flow to the river. The lower part of the deposit 
shows what seem to be impressions of stems and twigs of vegetation, in- 
dicating that the lime was deposited around these plant fragments and 
that they have since been removed by decay. 

The Ice cave and the Mill Spring cave seem to have been formed by 
the slipping out on their bases of great masses of rock, which were sep- 
arated from the main part of the cliff by joints. Thus a triangular open- 
ing was formed between the cliff" and the loosened block. Doctor Calvin 
has explained in his discussion of the Ice cave that the country rock 
of this region is thoroughly penetrated by cracks and fissures and hid- 
den caverns. During the winter cold dry air is drawn into these open 
spaces and in the spring and early summer when the sun's heat is warm- 
ing the outer portion of the earth's crust, this air also is warmed and 
expanded by which means some of it is driven out into the open: Where 
this cold dry air comes into contact with the quiet warm moist air of 
the cavern it causes precipitation of the moisture upon the inner wall, 
and the temperature of the outcoming air is still so low as to freeze 
this condensed moisture, forming a coating of ice several inches thick 
on the lower part of the wall. During the latter part of the summer the 
ice melts away and the wall remains bare until the next spring. There 
is also near Decorah a freezing well which has the same peculiarity as 
the Ice cave. 

Decorah is not the only locality in the Oneota valley which can 
boast of beautiful scenery. Up the river there are especially noteworthy 
localities at Bluffton, Plymouth Rock and Florenceville, while in the 
lower valley, where it is deeper and the bluffs are higher, picturesque 
spots are plentiful. The various "Backbones" in the state which for 
some unaccountable reason are dedicated to the evil one may be dupli- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 109 

cated in half a dozen spots along the Oneota, and doubtless owe their 
existence and form to similar conditions — namely the meandering of the 
stream while it was still flowing up on the level of the divides and up- 
lands. Now that the river has cut its valley 400 to 500 feet below these 
uplands, having made its bed, it is literally forced to lie in it. Similar 
cases of entrenched meanders are plentiful along Turkey river between 
Spillville and Clermont and on some of the smaller streams of the 
region. 



THE SCENERY AT IOWA FALLS. 
By Frank E. Foster. 

You lowans who enjoy touring around a bit in your automobiles — 
you who enjoy nature when she is unusual, untamed and picturesque 
— take out your map of Iowa and put a big blue mark — or a red mark — 
or some other kind of a mark — on Hardin county. 

Then take out your little memoranda book and jot this down: 

"Trip to Hardin county and Iowa Palls during summer of 1917. Scen- 
ery is beautiful. 

"P. S. Roads in Hardin county are among the best in Iowa." 

One thing more: Promise yourself you will take this trip — and then 
be sure to keep your promise. 

When one thinks of touring in Iowa, one's mind pictures endless roll- 
ing prairie, limitless fields of corn, and a great multitude of obese cat- 
tle and snub-nosed hogs. Add rotund farmers, bulging pocket-books and 
mud-roads — and you have the composite average conception of the grand 
and glorious state of Iowa. At least, that always has been the idea; but 
lowans are beginning to get interested in their state, geographically — 
and to know it better. There is real beauty in Iowa, and if you keep 
that promise to visit Iowa Falls this summer, you ^vill be delightfully 
surprised. No other city or town of the Hawkeye state can duplicate 
the beautiful setting that nature has given to Iowa Falls. 

Viewing the environments of this city, one is impressed with the fact 
that nature, fickle and of many moods, paused here to paint romantic 
pictures that will forever distinguish it. Nature has done so much for 
Iowa Falls, there is little left for her citizens to do in the way of adorn- 
ment, and so they are content to preserve, conserve and appreciate these 
beauties. 

Save in the rugged and scenic spots of northeastern Iowa, there is 
not found in the Hawkeye state scenery like that which abounds in 
and about Iowa Falls. Rising in Crystal Lake of Hancock county, the 
Iowa river flows peacefully through a prairie country until it reaches 
the western limits of Iowa Falls, where it dashes into a chasm in the 
rocks and for two miles or more flows between massive stone walls 
that the erosion of ages has cut. On both sides of this chasm, the peo- 
ple of Iowa Falls have builded well, and there is not a person within 
her confines who does not revel in the beauties here so lavishly be- 
stowed. 



110 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

To add to the beauty of the river itself, are several tributaries that 
have cut a way for themselves through the rocks of the ages. And so 
it is that Wildcat Glen, Elk Run and Rock Run have each a beauty of 
their own that attracts and holds the eye of visitor or resident. One 
feels his inability to describe the many beautiful spots; sight alone can 
convey to the stranger the correct idea of Iowa Falls. 

To bring this natural beauty closer to the public, the citizens of 
Iowa Falls have preserved it in the way of parks, drives and bypaths 
that offer opportunity for a communion with nature in many of her 
moods. Wildcat Glen has been given to the city by Mrs. A. J. Foster as 
a part of the park system, while Jones park, given to the city by the late 
L. E. Jones, gives the city control of Rock Run. River Drive affords oppor- 
tunity to view the lower river, while Riverside Drive running west of town 
takes one along the upper river, with beauties all its own. This latter 
route forms part of the "Around the Loop" drive, which is popular with 
everyone and gives a glimpse of Siloam Springs, a resort west of the city 
that is the mecca of autoists within a radius of thirty miles of Iowa Falls. 

The river attracts many during the summer months with its de- 
lightful boating amid romantic surroundings. Combined with this recre- 
ation, one is offered bathing facilities and good fishing. The river at this 
point has been stocked nearly every year either by the federal govern- 
ment or by the state, and with good protection it is fast becoming a 
favorite spot for the disciples of Isaac Walton. 

Many delightful hikes appeal to the lovers of the great outdoors. 

Possibly no more exhilarating sport is offered any place in Iowa than 
the famous canoe trip down the Iowa river from Alden to Iowa Falls, 
and if one wishes a longer trip, then on to Eldora. Particularly excit- 
ing is the dash down the rapids that marks the course of the river for 
a distance of over seven miles between Alden and Iowa Falls. When 
the stage of the water is good, the lovers of this sport ship canoes to 
Alden by rail and then, pushing off in the stream, commence an excit- 
ing trip that must be taken to be appreciated. Whirled past beautiful 
pastoral scenes and through canyons cut in the solid rock, every min- 
ute is fraught with enjoyment and just enough of that risk of the hazard- 
ous to add zest to the journey. Shooting the rapids, one drifts out upon 
placid water that for a\ short distance flows with a gentle current, and 
the next moment turns the nose of the canoe into the churning waters 
of the rapids. 

Just outside of the city is found Siloam Springs, where man has added 
to the beauty of nature and provided a place that affords rest and recre- 
ation far from the heat and turmoil of the city life. The springs them- 
se:ives produce water the equal of any of the famous springs. Some 
day it will be utilized as a table water by some one enterprising enough 
to put it properly before the public. Surrounding the springs are 
beautiful shady nooks, while for those who love to dance, a commodious 
pavilion has been provided. 

With her four transcontinental and interstate auto routes, more and 
more people are brought here each year. It is a delightful stopping 
place for tourists, for here is a resting place so different that it Is a 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 111 

delight to those who tarry long enough to view the natural setting of the 
city. Located on the Hawkeye highway, the Diagonal trail, the Jeffer- 
son highway and Inter-State trail, Iowa Falls is fortunate in offering fa- 
cilities for auto travel, while its four railroads radiate in as many di- 
rections, making the city one of the most accessible in the state. 

If you ever tire of the beauties of the Iowa prairies, of which many 
a poet has sung, and long for a glimpse of rocks and glens and romantic 
spots that will stir the muse to expression, just pause long enough in 
Iowa Falls to view her beauties and refresh yourself with the hospi- 
tality always found within her gates. 



GEOLOGY OF HARDIN COUNTY. 
By Samuel W. Beyer, Geologist. 

The Iowa river has its source in the lakes and ponds of Hancock 
county, enters Hardin county near the middle line of Alden township 
and takes a most sinuous southeasterly course across the county, en- 
tering Marshall about two miles west of the east line of Hardin county. 
Below its junction with South Fork, the Iowa flows through a broad ter- 
raced valley, varying from three-fourths to one and one-half miles in 
width, and has a flood plain averaging a half mile in width. The gravel 
terrace measures twenty feet above the flood plain at Gifford, ten feet 
at Union, and is scarcely recognizable beyond the Marshall county line. 
The Iowa Central is built on this teiTace. 

The stream meanders greatly over this broad alluvial flat. Indurated 
rocks appear in places in the stream channel below the mill at Union, 
and support the flood plain, rising above low water level, between Union 
and G-ifford. These facts would indicate that this portion of the stream 
was extremely old. While it had apparently reached a base level some- 
time since, it has done but little filling and at present is deepening its 
channel slightly between Gifford and Union. North of the junction there 
is a decided change in the landscape. The valley contracts sharply and 
the flood plain is too narrow to be represented on a map of the scale 
used in these reports. In this portion of its course almost no alluvium 
has been deposited. The stream flows over bed rock through a gorge 
whose walls are rock supported. The convex sides of the bends are often 
marked by mural escarpments of red sandstone varying from forty to 
sixty feet in height, crowned by drift bluffs which rise more than 125 
feet above low water level. Beyond Steamboat Rock the sandstone 
lodges are obscured by drift talus but the restraining bluffs lose none of 
their precipitousness and range even higher than along the lower 
course, attaining a height of at least 150 feet above the present channel, 
between Steamboat Rock and Hardin City, and again between Hardin 
City and Eagle City. These eminences are largely composed of glacial 
debris. An impure limestone at the base of the bluff, near the Jackson- 
Clay township line on the south side of the great bend at Hardin City, 
forms a shattered ledge some eight to ten feet above the level of the 



112 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

water in the river. The extremely circuitous meanders in the vicinity 
of Eagle City and Hai'din City marks the Altamont moraine crossing. 
The Gifford terrace is easily traceable to Hardin City, M^here it has an 
elevation of thirty-five feet above the flood plain. At Steamboat Rock 
where it reaches its maximum it is sixty-five feet above the flood plain. 
The constituent gravels are much coarser at both of these points than 
at Gifford and Union. At least two other terraces may be noted above 
this and the stream is engaged at present in cutting one below. At 
Hardin City the upper terraces are forty-five and seventy-feet, and at 
Steamboat Rock ninety-five and 110 feet, above low water in the river. 
Jowan boulders were noted in abundance on the ninety-five foot bench. 
Northeast of Eldora the gravel bench, which rises about seventy-five feet 
above the river, is probably the continuation of the second terrace at 
Steamboat Rock. The materials are much finer and stratification planes, 
though much Interrupted, are very prominent. Fragments of these ter- 
races may be viewed at other points. The terrace now forming is al- 
ready out of reach of high water. It varies from fifteen to twenty feet 
above low water level. The Iowa Centi-al railway is built on it between 
Steamboat Rock and the point where the railway leaves the river val- 
ley north of Eldora. This terrace is also sought out by the C, I. & D. 
railway for a mile or two either side of Xenia. In the latter region the 
bench is in part rock supported. Below Union the Gifford terrace merges 
with the one now forming and thus continues into Marshall county. 

Beyond Hardin City there is a marked change in the topographic fea- 
tures; the bluffs recede from the river, and the contours are markedly 
softened. The gravel terraces which characterize the valley cross-section 
in its lower course become less prominent and beyond Eagle City prac- 
tically disappear. The Eldora sandstone, underlain with shales which 
engender a bold relief, has given place to the limestone of the lower 
carboniferous. The change in indurated rocks is clearly recorded in the 
landscape. At Eagle City the river has made an incision into the lime- 
stone of some forty feet. This state of affairs, although more or less 
obscured by drift talus, persists to the vicinity of Iowa Falls. Here the 
stream flows through a limestone gorge which attains a maximum depth 
of seventy feet at the Iowa Central railway bridge. The retreating drift 
bluffs rise some fifty feet higher. At this point the stream has been dis- 
placed in very recent times. There is a well marked channel south of the 
Bliss annex, now sought out by the C, I. & D. railway. This depression 
closely parallels the present channel to the eastward, and also toward 
Alden. The so-called "Rapids of the Iowa," or "Iowa Falls," from which 
the town is named, the canyon-like gorge of the river itself, and its inlets. 
Rock Run, Wild Cat Glen and Elk Run, all owe their origin to this dis- 
placement. In fact the accidental blocking of the old channel by the ice, 
which necessitated the cutting of a new one, has given the surface a pic- 
turesque ruggedness which renders Iowa Falls unique among interior Iowa 
towns; and for natural beauty it is without a peer. Westward the stream 
walls are less gorge-like. Low rock walls appear almost constantly on 
one or both sides of the stream as far as Alden. North of Alden the in- 
durated rocks disappear, the bluffs become more subdued and the stream, 
soon after passing over into Franklin county, takes on the character of a 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 113 

drift prairie stream. Briefly told the Iowa flows through a more or lesr, 
close walled gorge from Alden ; to near its junction with South Fork, 
where it suddenly emerges into a broad valley with a well developed 
flood plain, and is terraced from Eagle City to the Marshall county line. 
Its minor tributaries partake of the characters of the parent stream, with 
this exception, that those from the east have well developed flood plains, 
relatively low gradients and other characters common to maturely de- 
veloped streams. It may be of interest to mention that above the forks 
the Iowa river does not receive a single tributary from the west worthy 
of a name. The area drained is inconsiderable, drawing almost no 
tribute save from the north and east. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. X, An- 
nual Report 1899, p. 251. 



FOREST FLORA OF HARDIN COUNTY. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

One of the interesting phases of botany is a study of plants with refer- 
ence of their adaptation. Plants of widely different relationship are fre- 
quently associated in communities. Such plants show the same adapta- 
tions as regards their structures and growth. 

Certain physiographic features of the country have a marked influence 
on the plant communities. Sandy, moist rocks support a very different 
class of plants than limestone rocks, or the alluvial bottoms of the 
streams. These features often determine the geographic limitations of 
some trees. The white pine (Pinus strobus) is a very local tree in this 
state, being confined to the sandstone ledges of eastern and central Iowa. 
The white pine is not, however, found in this state wherever the sand- 
stone ledges occur. Extensive carboniferous sandstone deposits occur 
along the Des Moines from Moingona south, and while the forest growth 
at various points is somewhat similar to that of Hardin county, three of 
the prevailing species do not occur, namely, white pine (Pinus strobus) 
and two birches, the white birch (Betula papyrifera), and the cherry 
birch (B. lutea). Botanists have long recognized that species tend to 
move northward or southward, and less frequently plants move eastward 
and westward. The westward extension of the eastern ti*ees in Iowa is 
marked by certain valleys. Taking the white pine as an illustration its 
western limits is marked by the Iowa valley. Dr. S. W. Beyer calls my 
attention to the report of David Dale Owen,* in which he refers to the 
occurrence of white pine on the summits of the hills along the Iowa 
river in Hardin county. Its southern extension is Pine creek in Musca- 
tine county. The Davenport locality, Reppert Watson and Coulter Gray's 
Manual (6th Ed.) 490, is clearly an error, as I have shown elsewhere. 
The paper birch, (Betula papyrifera), has its western limit in the same 
valley, and is clearly more local than the white pine. Macbride reports 
as follows: "Occurs in cultivation, and is reported abundant along the 
Boone river east. Perhaps comes within the limits of the county in 
the northeast corner." Its occurrence there would be extremely interesting, 
s 



114 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

since to my knowledge the species does not occur in the vicinity of Web- 
ster Oity along the Boone river. The occurrence of the cherry birch in 
the vicinity of Steamboat Rock is another equally interesting discovery. 
So far as I know this is one of the few recorded localities in the state. The 
cherry birch is a distinctly northern tree, found in moist, sandy, rocky 
soil in western Wisconsin. The white birch occurs in the more exposed 
and drier places, conforming to its habitat, in western Wisconsin and 
northeastern Iowa, as I indicated in a paper in Garden and Forest on the 
forest vegetation of the Upper Mississippi. MacBride*, in his paper on 
the forest trees of Allamakee county, says: "Certainly confined to the 
northeast corner of the state." 

Until finding the species last fall I had not known of its occurrence in 
Iowa except in the counties north of Dubuque along the Mississippi river. 

The flora of this region is a typical northern or, more properly, the 
transition of C. Hart Merriam.* 

The arboreal vegetation is accompanied by many typical northern 
species. It has many more northern species than Clinton or Dubuque 
counties and but few of their southern species. Papaw (Asimina triloba), 
pignut (Carya olivaefornis), Cercis canadensis, and Q. acuminata 
occur at Clinton but are entirely wanting near Steamboat Rock. The 
typical transition species occur for some four or five miles north of Steam- 
boat Rock but disappear south. These are practically confined to tha 
sandstone ledges. Beyond these ledges the timber presents nothing un- 
usual for central Iowa. 

This small area is well watered and where it was not pastured it was 
decidedly swampy, as evidenced by the profuse growth of jewel weed 
(Impatiens fulva), and greater lobelia (Lobelia syphiltica). The showy 
lady slipper (Cypripendium spectabile) was less common in open places. 
In the densely shaded woods the ground was covered with -a species of 
hypnum. Ferns (Phegopteris dryopteris, P. polypodiodes, Asplenium 
felix-foemina, Polypodium vulgare and Aspidium marginale). The lat- 
ter to my knowledge has not been recorded for the state, and certainly 
is much beyond the usual range given to it. In Wildcat Den, Muscatine 
county, where the physical conditions are somewhat similar, it is entirely 
absent. The two species of ferns (Phegopteris) have been reported from 
other sections of the state. All of these are northern species. The small 
bush honeysuckle (Diervilla trifida) has a range from Newfoundland to 
mountains of North Carolina west to Minnesota. Reppert also reports 
it from Muscatine county. It is, therefore, much beyond its usually given 
range. The silky cornel, (Cornus circinata) is a common shrub on sandy 
rocks in western Wisconsin, its natural range being from Nova Scotia to 
Dakota, south to Virginia and Missouri. Its Missouri occurrence is like 
the Iowa, usually in isolated places. Reppert records it from Muscatine 
county along Sweetland creek and I have observed it as a rare shrub at 
the ledges in Boone county. The dogwood (Cornus asperifolia) is more 
common. The sandy piny woods are covered with oat grass (Danthonia 
spicata), which is true also of the woods along Pine creek in Muscatine 
county and the carboniferous sandstone ledges in Boone county. 



♦Year Book U. S. Dept. of Agri., 1894, p. 209. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 115 

The timber along the Iowa river in former days was much used for rail- 
road ties; the best has, however, long since been removed. There is, 
however, still some mei-chantable timber which is being cut into lumber, 
and much is used for fuel. Of the gray or cherry birch (Betula lutea) 
there were trees twelve inches in diameter which might very profitably be 
used for lumber. 

The forests have been much injured; there is, in fact, general com- 
plaint that the forests do not do as well as formerly. Several causes have 
led to this. The unseasonable winter of 1898-1899 killed many trees or 
injured them so severely that they will never recover, and should at 
once be cut out. Trees varying from saplings to those one and a half 
and two feet were destroyed by this freeze. Some of these trees have 
attained an age of fifty to seventy-five years. Is it possible that during 
all these years Iowa has not experienced such a winter? Where there 
are solid bodies of large trees still standing it is reasonable to suppose that 
the conditions during the past season were unusual, or man has so 
modified present conditions that trees have been unable to resist unsea- 
sonable climatic conditions. In going through these forests one cannot 
help but notice that man is responsible. I passed through acres of tim- 
ber in which the ground had scarcely a weed growing — the ground was 
bare. It had been stocked to such an extent that there was no longer 
any covering or protection to the roots. The farmer in Hardin county 
and elsewhere in the state, is attempting to grow two crops on the same 
ground at the same time. It is evident that unless the farmers adopt a 
different system of treating the forest they must, sooner or later, lose 
what little timber is remaining. There are many points along the Iowa 
river, in Hardin County, that can never be utilized for farming purposes, 
which should be devoted to forestry.— Iowa Geological Survey, Annual 
Report, 1899, Vol. X, p. 306, with some additions. 



TOPOGRAPHY OF BOONE COUNTY. 

By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The topography of Boone county has the character of a drift plain. It 
is flat, except near the streams. The Des Moines, which is the principal 
river, enters the county in Pilot Mound township and flows in a southerly 
direction, dividing the county into two parts. The Des Moines valley is 
narrow, with numerous small tributaries, also narrow, often with gorges. 
The most important of these are found in the vicinity of Moingona, com- 
monly called the Ledges. 

The streams are Bear, Pease, Eversole, Caton, Elk and Bluff Creeks. 
The terraces along the Des Moines river, and other streams, show the 
recent development of these streams. Squaw Creek, a tributary to the 
Skunk river, drains the northeastern part of the county. 



116 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

REINDEER LICHENS AT THE LEDGES. 

By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

To the students of botany, geology and zoology, at the Iowa State Col- 
lege, the Ledges have become famous for rare, Interesting and unique 
plants found in the region, as well as its interest from the standpoint of 
geology, zoology and Mound Builders. It may not be generally known 
but it is one of the few places in Iowa where the Reindeer lichens occur 
which cover such immense areas in the Arctic regions. 



THE LEDGES, NATURE'S GIFT TO IOWA. 
By Carl F. Henning, Author. 

Throughout the length and breadth of our land there is today an 
awakened interest in the Great Out of Doors. The public conscience has 
been quickened, and the attempt to preserve and restore some of the 
wild life is no longer looked upon as a fad or idle sentiment. 

A halt has been called on the wanton waste of the forests, and more 
than a million acres of public forest lands have been reserved by law for 
posterity. In these great national forests the harmless wild creatures 
will replenish if they are given the opportunity. The plan of Senator 
Kenyon to set aside a tract of land in the northeastern part of the state is 
receiving the hearty approval and endorsement of the people of Iowa and 
neighboring states. 

The traveler who passes through Iowa, along our splendid highways, 
speaks in words of admiration of the pleasing scenery, the pretty birds 
and sweet scented flowers. We ourselves are beginning to realize that 
there are many beautiful places and a wealth of material within the bor- 
ders of our state suitable for parks and wild-animal preserve. These 
beauty spots of Iowa were made for our present enjoyment and for those 
to come. They should be set aside by the state and preserved for future 
generations as places of rest and recreation. 

In Boone county nature has provided a natural park, known as The 
Ledges, the most picturesque spot in central Iowa. I hope that this piece 
of woodland with its beautiful scenery, noble trees and running streams 
will some day become a state park and wild animal refuge. Here the 
elk and deer could roam and rear their young as in the early days of 
Iowa. To write about The Ledges and its natural beauty, to the end that 
it may be preserved for the people of Iowa for a park is a subject broad 
yet inviting, the duty is a pleasant one, for I have enjoyed these many 
years the benefits of this beautiful piece of woodland. To spend a day or 
an hour at the "Ledges" is a pleasure and leaves sweet memories — but to 
visit this restful place with the coming and going of the seasons, in sun- 
shine and storm, to learn its secrets and find its hidden treasures, is to 
love them as you would your dearest friend. 

"Through the woodland, through the meadow. 
As in silence oft I walk. 
Softly whispering on the breezes, 
Seems to come the red man's talk." 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 117 

The artist who would attempt to present with the brush the granduer 
of The Ledges would find the task to lie beyond the grasp of his endow- 
ments. So the pen is inadequate to present to the people of Iowa in its 
reality this realm of natural beauty. Prof. L. H. Pammel, of Ames, la., 
In his article on the conservation of the wild flowers, wherein he men- 
tions The Ledges, says: 

"Let us now and then muse in the woods and enjoy the beautiful around 
us. It will make better men and women. Everyone recalls with pleas- 
urable delight, the swamp on the farm when the marsh marigold lifted 
its golden yellow flowers in the sun, or the sunny and gravelly knoll on 
some farm in northern Iowa, where the pasque flower in purple clusters 
strongly defied the elements of weather. Perhaps you remember the long 
tramp in the woods in May when suddenly you found a few yellow lady 
slippers, under some tree, or perhaps you remember the day in June 
when you went over a mossy bank, and you came across the large white 
royal lady slipper, or you found one of the real orchids with its roots 
tucked away in the moss. The lady slippers and orchids never were com- 
mon in Iowa hence the greater delight in finding them. 

"You also recall that in the early days you went into the woods and 
here you found an array of early blooming plants like the dutchman's 
breeches, hepatica, bloodroot, bell-flower, may apple, rue anemone, etc. 
Now go back to some woods after a lapse of twenty-five years and you 
find that these plants have totally disappeared or are becoming rare. The 
disappearance of plants in some parts of Iowa may best be illustrated by 
calling attention to a few places and what has occurred in twenty-six 
years. Let me select the place known as the "Ledges" in Boone county. 
The most interesting spot in central Iowa, about five miles from Boone 
and on the Des Moines river, is unique among Iowa's beauty spots. It is 
a most picturesque place. 

"A small creek runs through the ledges known as Peese creek. The 
sandstone ledges in some places are about seventy-five feet high and with 
a gentle slope extending to the top of the prairies of about 125 feet more. 
The sandstone rock consists of a deposit of rather coarse sand with a con- 
sidera.ble amount of lime. When I went there twenty-six years ago the 
small valley was heavily timbered, the most important trees were the 
corky bark elm, black maple, black walnut, slippery elm, basswood, and 
swamp ash. In the spring the wake robin occurred in large numbers in 
the humus. The moosewood, red cedar, buckthorn, pin cherry, ninebark, 
and dogwood were rather common over the hills or on the ledges. 

"Today, however, these plants have become greatly diminished. Ttie 
pin cherry only occurs in one place and comparatively few of the trees 
are left. The ninebark too has been reduced to a few plants on the edge 
of an almost inaccessible ledge. The buckthorn and moosewood have 
not been found recently. Only two or three red cedars are left — though 
at one time fairly common. 

"It was not difficult in those days to find a few specimens every year 
of the yellow lady slipper; now, however, this plant is rarely brought to 
us. Down in the valley the ground was covered with the may apple, the 
indian turnip, and the dragon's head. These plants though still occurring 
are rare. , 



118 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

"There were also a great many sweet Williams and wild cranesbill. 
The Ledges are unique for central Iowa because of the occurrence of 
several interesting ferns, among them the walking fern, the common poly- 
pody, the Asplenium filixfoemina, Adiantum pedatum, Woodsia obtusa, 
and Systopteris fragilis. These ferns except the last are all protected 
because they occur in inaccessible ledges. The latter fern is common in 
the woods. The reindeer lichen occurs on an exposed point. It is the 
only locality so far as I know in the state. 

"The region is now subject to pasturage and the valley is used as a 
camping place. The people who use it totally disregard the rare plants 
found there. Generally these plants mean no more than weeds." 

May the time be near at hand when the state will own The Ledges. 
Under our guardianship the ruthless destruction of trees, shrubs and 
flowers, as mentioned by Prof. Pammel will not be tolerated. In Europe 
the tree is protected with legislation befitting its importance as a na- 
tional asset. Its slow growth, covering a period of generations, gives it 
a value not to be regarded lightly or within the control of its temporary 
owner. 

That which nature builds up by the slow accretion of centuries should 
not be destroyed by the whim of one generation of men. There is noth- 
ing in vegetable nature so grand as a tree — grappling with its roots the 
granite foundations of everlasting hills, it reaches its sturdy and gnarled 
trunk on high, spreads its branches to the heavens, casts its shadow on 
the sward; and the birds build their nests and sing amidst its unbrageous 
branches. 

The following reference to The Ledges is made in the Iowa Geological 
Report, Vol. V., page 187: "In the south central part of the county, the 
oldpr carboniferous formations have been cut out and replaced by a 
younger massive sandstone. A casual observer traversing the river val- 
ley cannot but notice the sudden change in topographic form, when this 
sandstone is reached. The rounded salients of the coal measure shales 
and argillaceous sandstones, give place to mural escarpments and bold 
buttresses of the "Ledge" sandstone, amply testifying to the change in 
stratigraphy. This terrain is typically exposed near the mouth of Peese 
creek, a tributary of the Des Moines entering from the east. The creek 
valley is extremely nai'row and walled in by vertical cliffs, often over- 
hanging ledges; henoe the name of the formation. 

"Examples of water sculpture are numerous and beautiful. The ridges 
and less precipitous slopes support a luxuriant vegetation. In short, the 
inorganic and organic worlds have conspired to make this one of the 
most picturesque spots in the region. This formation presents many in- 
teresting lithological variations, the manifestation of which, in all prob- 
ability is due to, or at least has been accentuated by, the weathering 
processes. The second member contains numerous ferruginous concre- 
tions varying in size from a few inches to many feet in the direction of 
their greater dimension. Others take an almost quartzitic facies, and 
are so hard that they will strike fire with steel. These nodules are com- 
monly lens-shaped or spherical, but in some instances are cylindrical. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 119 

"By reason of their relatively greater refractoriness, they often project 
beyond the softer matrices, and closely simulate the trunks of trees, and 
they are currently known as such. To make the delusion more complete 
the pressed cylinders weather concentrically and have a strikmg re- 
semblance to the truncated bodies of exogenous trees of gigantic propor- 
tions. The lower bed of the section shows in many places cross-bedding, 
the appearance of which is intensified by the differential corrasive and 
corrosive effects of the present stream. The sandstone is known to have 
a thickness of upwards of one hundred feet and has been represented in 
the section as occurring in three stages. The divisions are arbitrary 
rather than real; the external differences being due to accidents of 
weathering rather than to variable conditions during sedimentation. 

"The ledge sandstones may be considered as a geological unit I'epre- 
senting a period of continuous deposition. As in most deposits of its 
kind it is of limited extent. It thins out rapidly both to the north and 
south. At Bear creek half a mile down the river it is reduced to forty 
feet, and two miles in either direction from its typical exposure it entirely 
loses its identity, giving place to alternating sands and shales. One mile 
and a half toward the source of Peese creek the older measures pass un- 
conformably under the ledge sandstone. Approaching from the south 
about one mile below the mouth of the Bear, two seams of coal are easily 
seen outcropping along the river bank, the lower being twenty feet above 
the water. 

"Where first observed these coal beds are separated by a considerable 
thickness of shale and clay. Proceeding northward the Intervening strata 
gradually disappear, and before reaching the mouth of the creek the veins 
themselves end abruptly, and the ledge sandstone comes into view. Both 
stratigraphically and lithologically the ledge sandstone seems to have its 
homologue in the massive sandstone exposed in Marion county and cur- 
rently known as the Redrock sandstone." 

The Redrock standstone is indicative of a considerable oscillation of 
the shore line during carboniferous times, by which the land in that vicin- 
ity was elevated, profoundly eroded and then submerged by the gradual 
tilting of the surface on an axis more or less parallel to the shore line. 
This was a period of vigorous erosion on lahd and of rapid sedimentation 
in the area in question. The ledge sandstone was laid down during this 
time and was followed by re-elevation. 

To those who have the "wanderlust" a day spent at the Ledges Park 
will satisfy the "call of the wild" that comes to us all at times. To the 
writer The Ledges are Nature's Book of Knowledge — my friends, the 
birds, are always here to welcome me and it seems that their song 
sounds sweeter there than anywhere else in Iowa. 

The study of bird life is at all times an interesting theme and many a 
pleasant hour may be spent in woods and fields observing our feathered 
friends in their native haunts. For upwards of twenty-five years the 
writer has taken an interest in our birds and studied their life histories — 
simply for love of the work. Happy hours have been spent in the fields 
and woods greeting our sojourners from the sunny south and taking notes 
on their everyday life — their song, their nesting and food habits, field 
notes that are full of the sunshine of summer days, the singing of birds, 



120 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the gayety of butterflies, sweet scented blossoms, the aroma of the woods, 
and the splash and sparkle of waters. Come with me lovers of nature and 
let us take a ramble to the "Ledges." The walk will do us good; "the air 
is balmy with the breath of the south wind and the smell of the new 
earth," that in itself is satisfaction. The snow may still linger in places 
along the old hedge fence and perhaps we will find the ground covered 
here and there with ice-crusted snow on the shady sides of the ravines 
along the river bottom, but this is the very place where the pheasant will 
build its nest in May. Let us wander along yonder small streams, Peese 
creek that winds its way through The Ledges valley until it reaches the 
Des Moines river. Here is a woodland path that we can use — it is na- 
tures highway. Evei*y summer happy bare-footed children have trusted 
to the path's guidance through the forest, as they searched for flowers and 
berries. If we would come here some morning at the break of day we 
would see the woodman's little herd of cattle slowly walking along this 
same path on their way to their feeding grounds, the tinkling of the 
cow-bell faintly echoing through the stillness of the early morn adding 
poetry to their leisurely movements. 

Grazing and resting during the day, they return home at sunset when 
the thrush sings his sweet evening hymn and the whipoorwill's notes ring 
through the darkening woods. There is a fascination in the woods on a 
March day that increases as spring advances, each day nature appears in 
a different mood. Characteristic of these early days of reviewing nature is 
the sonorous drumming of the small woodpeckers on some dry and re- 
sonant limb, a distinctly musical performance. It is usually the downy 
woodpecker, but as Mr. Burroughs says, "He is not rapping at the door of 
a grub; he is rapping at the door of spring." Foot-paths are the natural 
avenues for nature study. Someone has said that "Those only know a 
country who are acquainted with its foot-paths, by the roads, indeed the 
outside may be seen but the foot-paths go through the heart of the land." 
There are many foot-paths in The Ledges. Two of these paths are mostly 
used by pleasure seekers. One leads to the top of "table rock," the high- 
est elevation in The Ledges valley — from this point of vantage a splendid 
view may be had of the surrounding landscape. 

The other path leads to the Devil's Cave. The less frequented foot- 
paths are to be preferred for nature study. We are most apt to meet 
frolicsome squirrels and happy birds where people do not intude. 

October is one of the finest months of the year. The daily glories of 
sunrise are repeated at evening in the sunset glow. 

October frosts have chilled the air, 
And turned the leaves to gold and red. 

It is during these Indian summer days, when all about the hills are 
crowned with woods that seem to burn and glow, that we gather the 
golden rod along the roadsides and meet pretty red-poll linnets, goldfinch, 
snowbirds and sparrows. Wandering bands of roaming Bohemian wax 
wings pass through The Ledges valley. 

We listen to the warbling bluebirds in yonder group of sumac with its 
crimson leaves, and watch the little boys as they climb over the old ivy- 
covered rail-fence with a. bulky sack of nuts on their back. What thoughts 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 121 

of happy boyhood days, singing birds, scampering squirrels and stained 
fingers those children and their sacks of walnuts bring to our minds. 

It is many years since these little gatherers of nature's treasures have 
passed down the dusty highway. The incident is now only a memory. 
But may we not profit by the thoughtfulness and industry of these little 
gleaners? Wise lads, those happy boys — they know from experience that 
the hickory, butternut or walnut would not always be there for them to 
gather. Perhaps the little urchins learned the lesson from the squirrels. 

Citizens of Iowa, let us show the same forethought and ambition, and 
gather for ourselves and posterity the greater treasure that lies in the 
very center of our state — namely, The Ledges. They are nature's greatest 
gift to the people of Iowa. — The Iowa Magazine, February, 1918. 



FOREST TREES AND SHRUBS IN BOONE COUNTY. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

Central Iowa is not covered extensively with forest growth, and Boone 
county forms no exception to the rule. Its timbered area is, however, 
greater than that along the Skunk river in Story county, but fourteen 
miles distant. The timbered portion of Boone county covers an area vary- 
ing from three to six miles in width. It is confined to the Des Moines 
river and its tributaries. 

Two features are especially noteworthy: first, the timbered area of the 
alluvial and sandy flood plain of the Des Moines river and its larger 
tributaries; second, the timber occupying the hilly country, which con- 
sist of numerous valleys, elevated ridges and hills. There is usually a 
sharp demarkation of the species of the alluvial flood plain and the hilly 
country. 

The first ajrea is occupied almost exclusively by the white elm (Ulmus 
americana) and the common cork elm (U. racemosa), soft maple (Acer 
dasycarpum), box elder (A. negundo), Cottonwood (Populus monilifera). 
black walnut (Juglans nigra), willow (Salis sps.), and green ash (Fraxinus 
viridis, F. sambucifolia). 

Among the hills the dominant trees are red oak (Quercus rubra), bur 
oak (Q. macrocarpa), white oak (Q. alba), chestnut oak (Q. muhlenbergii), 
green ash and white elm less common than along the river, butternut 
(Juglans cinerea), shell-bark hickory (Carya alba) and bitternut (C. 
amara). 

On steep hillsides facing the river, ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana) 
and hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginica) occur. Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) 
is abundant. In thickets, Prunus americana, P. virginiana, Pyrus coron- 
aria, Crataegus mollis, C. punctata, Cornus alternifolia and Viburnum 
pubescens are also common to the bluffs. 

Without doubt the soil bears an important relation to the kind of tree 
or shrub produced, and, to a certain extent, the soil and geological forma- 
tion is an index to plant life. Most collectors in North America have 
given this subject very little attention. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. V, p. 
232. 



122 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

THE FLORA OF THE LEDGES. 
By Wm. W. Diehl. 

In the south-central part of Boone county is an area that possesses 
characteristic plants as well as peculiar geological and topographic 
features. This is located four miles directly south of Boone and extends 
for about two miles south toward and along the Des Moines river. Its 
name, The Ledges, is appropriate because of striking sandstone cliffs from 
ten to over forty feet in height, extending beyond the perpendicular in 
some cases as much as twelve feet. This ledge rock here comprises an 
island of younger massive sandstone surrounded uncomformably by some- 
what older carboniferous layers, which are of different structure. The 
conditions peculiar to this restricted locality give the flora a distinctive 
character. 

It is evident from the appended catalogue that this area possesses a 
flora typical of a forested region or of a region until recently covered 
with woodland. Originally all or nearly all of this area was wooded. It 
would seem that the northern limit of the unshaded part of the map rep- 
resents approximately the northern extension of the former encroaching 
forest belt. Along the roadside just north of this line are some remnants 
of such prairie grasses as Spartina Michauxii Hitch, which have not been 
found within the area in question. That the forest once extended to this 
line is shown by the presence of tree stumps over much of the area. The 
stump of a bur oak growing near a clump in this vicinity showed sixty- 
one annual rings. Residents of the district also attest that practically all 
this land was once wooded. Of course the wooded area is now confined 
to the rough land near the river and along the steep slopes of the ravines 
adjacent. 

The catalogue indicates the somewhat anomalous character of the 
vegetation of the region. For instance, Morus rubra L. and Viburnum 
Lentago L., which are plentiful just outside the tract to the westward, 
have not yet been found within The Ledges. Aesculus glabra var. arguta 
(Buckley) Robinson, while plentiful at Frazer near Boone, and along 
Honey creek about three miles to the northwest where conditions are 
somewhat sim^ilar, has not been found at The Ledges. Anemonella thalic- 
troides L. is abundant on the bluffs along the Skunk river in Story county, 
but it has not been collected at The Ledges. Caltha palustris L. covers 
the marshy southern bank of the Des Moines river to the west of The 
Ledges, but the writer has been unable to find it within the area in 
question. 

The Ledges may be said to be characterized by the presence of CJadonia 
sylvatica, Polytrichum commune, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, Polypodium 
vulgare, Woodsia obtusa, Trillium nivale, Mitella diphylla, Juniperus vir- 
giniana, Dirca palustris, Lathyrus ochroleucus, Physocarpus opulifolius, 
Prunus pennsylvanica, and Rhamnus lanceolata. — Iowa Academy of 
Science, Vol. XXII, excerpt from the proceedings. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 123 

DESCRIPTION OF PILOT MOUND. 

By Mrs. 0. H. McNider. 

Pilot Mound attracts an increasing number of visitors although there 
is no provi'sion made for their comfort. It is not uncommon on pleasant 
Sunday afternoons in late summer for several different parties to motor 
over from here. Although the condition of the roads on the Mound makes 
the ascent rather difficult, anyone feels repaid for the effort, for the view 
from the summit is truly wonderful and the same people go again and 
again to enjoy it. The extent and beauty of this view has often been 
described and I have never seen it exaggerated. 

On our last trip we found the little lake and wei-'e charmed with the 
beauty of its setting. 

Our visits have been so brief and so late in the season that I have not 
had a chance to enjoy the unusual flora and bird life that Eugene Secor 
has told us about. You have information of these things and also of the 
geological interest. 

If you and other members of the Conservation Board could visit Pilot 
Mound there is no doubt but that you would be enthusiastic about making 
it a state park. 

A few years ago when the devastation of a portion of the Mound was 
threatened by the removal of the standing timber, I received the enclosed 
letter from Dr. Macbride which will be more welcome to you than any- 
thing I can say, for it shows how highly he regarded Pilot Mound and 
no one will rejoice more than Dr. Macbride over the work of saving our 
scenic places, which is now in progress. 



LETTER TO MRS. 0. H. McNIDER. 

By Dr. Thomas H. Macbride, President State University of Iowa. 

Now I have a problem for you! I am enclosing a clipping from the 
Winnebago Republican in which you will tind reference to the probable 
fate of one of the most beautiful places in Iowa. Pilot Mound is close to 
Mason City; one day, if it be preserved in its beauty, the interurban from 
Mason City to Clear Lake will be extended to Forest City and to the top 
of Pilot Mound, very likely, that all men may have the delight of the 
glorious view from that point and may see the beautiful groves and lakes 
that lie up there, high above the ordinary level of the country. Is there 
no way now by which the people of Mason City, Clear Lake, and Forest 
City may unite to save, for the public and for our children, this beautiful 
piece of natural scenery? It will take us some time to get the state 
started in the direction of purchasing. 



124 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

SUNSET FROM PILOT KNOB. 
By Eugene Secor, Author, 

I've never seen a sunset from an ocean steamer. I've never seen the 
great luminary dip into the Pacific from any of the high mountain peaks 
of the Rocky or Sierra range. 

But one doesn't need to travel two thousand miles or to risk an ocean 
voyage to see the sky in all its evening glory and the earth in its fruit- 
fulness at the same time. Iowa is not without its beauty spots — spots, 
too, where the heavens seem to meet the earth in a joint effort to magnify 
our inheritance. 

Such a spot is Pilot Knob, four miles east of Forest City. Camp with 
me on its summit any time when the clouds do not curtain the sky or an 
Indian summer haze limit the power of our glass, preferably in early har- 
vest. A landscape is before and behind and all around us that for extent 
and beauty combined is hard to match. If one is proud of teeming fields 
and verdant pastures and cool leafage of restful groves he may feast his 
eyes on a succession of such landscape views, the extent and variety of 
which can nowhere else be found in Iowa, although she is fair to look 
upon in every part of her matchless domain. 

The fields of golden sheaves where the binder has hummed all day re- 
veal the auriferous deposit left by the Wisconsin drift. Other shades of 
ripening grain emphasize the promise of a harvest that seldom disap- 
points. Haystacks in a hundred fields surrounded by a lush aftermath 
add refreshment to the scene. The deep green of the tasseMng corn on 
every farm foretells another harvest of the staple that has put Iowa on 
the map of the world. Cattle leisurely cropping grass in another hundred 
fields, and patches of timber in all directions — all these present a scene of 
rural wealth and contentment in a panorama as the air-man sees it, but 
we are safe on solid ground and yet behold it. 

Far in the west the sun is slowly sinking into the prairie. It is big 
and round and as yellow as a ripe pumpkin. The blinding light of its 
noonday splendor has been so softened that we watch it without blinking. 
Just above the descending orb an opalescent cloud is stretched across the 
sky, as if to catch and hold a little longer the glory of its reflected light! 
If an artist should paint such a picture we'd say it wasn't natural. But 
how could an artist overdraw such a picture as we now see? With one 
dash of his master brush the greater painter, the sun, has glorified all 
the western sky as a good-night message to a tired world just as a 
mother tells her little ones the most beautiful story she knows as she 
tucks them in for their nightly sleep. 

A sunset is both a beatitude and a benediction. Blessed are they that 
go out of sight leaving such a halo of influence that men will stop and 
wonder and take courage. May all who labor and need rest go to their 
peaceful beds for refreshment after a day of useful toil with as much 
surety of rising on the morrow with renewed energy as the golden disk be- 
fore us. 

But turn to the east. Another candle is lit in the sky. The full moon 
like a great silver disk is just above the tree tops in the distance. The 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 125 

world is not to be left in darkness tonight. One evening in every lunar 
month the full moon rises as the sun goes down. One may see both 
the silver and the gold at the same time — one to twenty-eight in the bi- 
metalism of the heavens. 

On no other night for twenty-eight days may this unique sight be en- 
joyed — the full moon rising and the sun setting at the same time. And 
in no other spot in Iowa may the phenomenon be observed under such in- 
spiring scenic suiToundings. 



PILOT MOUND'S BEAUTIES. 
By Winifred Gilbert. 

Years havte been added to the multitude of buried ages since the glacial 
period when Iowa was a beautiful sea of ice; as this melted and vanished 
and spots of land became visible there was found all over the state many 
bluffs, valleys and lakes, but far to the north majestically and proud 
above all the rest, rose Pilot Mound or Knob definite, rugged and ap- 
proachable, a thing of pride and a source of wonder. 

Near the boundary line that separates Worth and Cerro Gordo from 
Winnebago and Hancock is a range of low irregular hills zigzaging their 
uneven prominences from the southern boundary line of Minnesota south- 
ward, near this intersection of the boundary lines of these four counties, 
but solely in Hancock county, about four miles from Forest City and four- 
teen miles from Garner the hills are more prominent. 

The one that shows its bald head above all the rest is Pilot Mound, 
its altitude is about 1,400 feet, it is not the highest point in Iowa but it 
offers a wonderful panoramc view of the surrounding country, now in a 
high state of cultivation, happy homes, well kept farms, fine cattle, and 
large fine wooded timber lands, all doing homage to the mound, and makes 
a lover of Iowa proud of the fertile acres that stretch before him in every 
direction. 

From the top of Pilot Knob on a clear day one can see seven railroad 
stations, and the winding valley of Lime creek for perhaps fifteen miles, 
dotted vnith planted groves which makes the whole country look like a 
wonderful garden. 

The road leading up to the summit of the Mound climbs at first by 
easy ascent but at the top ascends abiniptly and one sees the rest of the 
zigzaging hills covered with timber, consisting of oaks, basswood, black 
and choke cherry, elm. quaking aspen, black walnut, wild plum and crab, 
and a thick undergrowth of hazelbrush and near Forest City along Lime 
creek a few sugar maples are found. 

About half a mile southwest of the Mound is a body of water covering 
about two acres, called "Dead Man's Lake," it is bordered with low tim- 
ber and in the lake are three kind of lilies. 

Pilot Mound in the autumn is a wonderful sight, when natur<^ turns 
the sumac red and the maples try to imitate the sunset, the Virginia 



126 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Creeper looks like burnished copper, and all is glorious with color. 'Tis 
then Old Pilot looks like a fairyland. » 



FORESTRY NOTES FOR PILOT MOUND AREA. 
By Dr. Thomas H. Macbride, President State University of Iowa. 

The forest area in these counties was originally, and has been until 
recently, rather larger than usual in prairie counties. Especially is this 
true of Hancock and Winnebago. In the latter the greater part of the 
eastern townships was originally covered with forest trees and until com- 
paratively recent years the same region has been more densely and ex- 
tensively occupied by young -native forest, the so-called "second-growth." 
The same thing was true of a large part of Forest township and of New- 
ton township, and there was native wood about Lake Harmon, and perhaps 
one or two other native groves were known to the pioneer. In Hancock 
county Ellington township, with the southern slopes of Pilot Knob and 
the banks of Lime creek, were all extensively wooded country and native 
groves were found all along the Iowa river in Avery township and about 
Amsterdam. There is still a native grove at Twin lakes and one in sec- 
tion 11 of the township of the same name, and another at Crystal lake. 
The latter is now in part a park. In Kossuth county the native woods 
were limited pretty nearly to the valley and flood plain of the Des Moines 
river, particularly below the point where the tributaries. Black Cat and 
Plum creek, enter. The list of species represented in these native forest 
plantations includes the names of nearly all the ai-boreal forms found in 
eastern or especially northeastern Iowa. Along the Des Moines about 
Algona and along Lime creek east of Forest City and especially on Pilot 
Knob and on its attendant hills genuine forest conditions prevail. Undis- 
turbed by tires the trees make luxuriant growth and add a beauty to these 
prairie landscapes otherwise unattainable. The presence of Pilot Knob 
and its wooded sides, seen like a blue wall from all the surrounding coun- 
try for miles, has to this country and for it a real commercial value, and 
if the people who are so fortunate as to own farms and homes in the 
neighborhood of this piece of natural attractiveness are wise they will 
never suffer its beauty to be destroyed. Steps should be taken to make 
Pilot Knob with its woods, its lakes and its meadows, its exhilarating 
heights, a park to be for the delight and enjoyment of the people for all 
time. Algona has also great natural advantages. Her wooded banks 
and woodland drives along the river and across it, attended by the rich 
variety of native groves, are certainly surprisingly beautiful and should 
belong to the city, some of them at least, for the benefit of coming gen- 
erations. 

Tree-planting in these counties has proceeded much as elsewhere for 
the purposes of shelter and fuel. Every farmer has a grove, and some of 
these are of fine proportions and show beautiful trees. Here as in other 
Iowa counties the species planted have been selected as rapidly growing, 
rather than for value when grown. Nevertheless there are plantations 
sufllcient to show that all sorts of trees common to our northern nurseries 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 127 

may be successfully reared along these northern borders. Mr. Eugene 
Secor has hundreds of conifers to show how easily the farmers of this 
region may provide themselves with timber, even for lumber. The 
primeval trees in all the forests named have nearly all long since disap- 
peared. They were the product of centuries and were ripe for the har- 
vest. Time has not elapsed for their successors to attain much value; 
but there is no doubt that the most valuable hardwood trees of our north- 
ern forests will yet again find place upon the hills and by the streams of 
the countries to which they are native and in which history shows that 
they find congenial skies and soil. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. XIII, 
pp. 110-2. 



PILOT KNOB SHOULD BE A PARK. 
By Eugene Secor, Author. 

It is quite needless for me to discuss the subject of parks as assets of a 
great state in the presence of those before me. The giving of your time 
and your money to attend this meeting indicates that you are already in- 
terested and realize the importance of securing and preserving some of 
the beauty spots of Iowa before they are despoiled by unthinking men. 

You do not belong to that class who see nothing in a tree but cord- 
wood, posts or lumber, and nothing in a winding bluff or quiet ravine, 
altho vine-clad and tree-covered and shrub-adorned, except a bit of 
scanty pasture. 

If some people had their way there wouldn't be a thing left to remind 
us of our inheritance of grove and copse and wild flowers that once made 
Iowa charming with wild life and beauty. You realize the danger that 
confronts us, the tendency to sacrifice everything to the god of present 
gain. 

I'm reminded of things I've seen in my native state. In one of my 
trips to the home of my boyhood I saw a rocky, steep hillside that had 
been recently denuded by the woodman's ax till nothing remained but 
bare rocks with a bit of soil between them. Ninety per cent of the so- 
called field was worthless for the agricultural purpose except to grow 
trees. Evidently there was a scant pasture for one sheep to the acre. 
But the piles of cordwood showed that the farmer had killed the goose 
that laid the golden egg. 

This association was organized for the very purpose of discouraging 
and preventing so far as possible the desecration of God's holy places, 
spots that ought to be preserved in the natural beauty inherited from the 
glacier or from the weathering processes of by-gone ages, clothed with 
matchless draperies of many colors and tints before the advent of the 
white man with his murderous ax. The pioneer is rarely a preserver of 
natural beauty, he destroys. Fortunately a few things have escaped the 
Hunish propensity of man to destroy works of art and the artworks of 
God. 



128 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

There are different types of natural beauty. Such is the variety in na- 
ture that there are hardly two things alike. 

A jutting granite crag on the seashore, washed by the restless tides and 
angry waves for a thousand decades, surmounted by a lone pine that has 
laughed at the winds for unknown years exhibits a rugged beauty that 
makes one want to unharness the camera to catch this Titan watcher of 
the ocean's moods on the spot where he stood guard when the Pilgrims 
landed. 

In the unglaciated area of Iowa, near McGregor, there is another type 
of beauty. Its high peaks overlooking the Father of Waters and portions 
of Wisconsin, its wooded ravines, its solemn caves and picturesque views 
and varying expressions of Nature's marvelous ways. That this is to be 
part of a national park at an early day is the prayer and the hope of all 
of us. 

But I want to call your attention to another spot with another type of 
beauty, where I have wandered in times past and dreamed of a future 
park to be owned and controlled by the sovereign state I love so well. 
It is unlike any other spot in Iowa, and men of wide travel have told me 
that there is no finer view anywhere. 

The men who made the original survey of this region for the govern- 
ment and who made plats and field notes for future use, called the highest 
peak Pilot Knob. Its altitude is only about fifteen hundred feet, and ap- 
proximately three hundred feet above the valley which it overlooks. The 
Knob is about four miles east of Forest City, near the county line road 
that separates Winnebago and Hancock counties. 

It is not the highest point in Iowa, perhaps, but it commands a view. 
of the surrounding country that is nowhere surpassed. 

Standing on Pilot Knoh one feels that he is on the very top of Iowa, 
and according to geologic lore it is literally true. This pile of clay and 
gravel and boulders is said to be a part of the eastern moraine of the 
Wisconsin drift. Not that it came from the present state of Wisconsin, 
but it may be remembered that all this northwest country Avas at one time 
called Wisconsin territory. 

Evidently the glacier that leveled the prairies of central northern 
Iowa came from the north. It may have brought material from Hudson's 
Bay. The hills of the Pilot Knob region are supposed to have been 
shoved laterally by the ice sheet and left in the irregular form in which 
we now find them. It was the last drift that overran the country we now 
call Iowa, and overlapped earlier and different glacial deposits. 

From the top of Pilot Knob a larger area of fertile land may be seen 
than from anywhere else on this earth, I believe. It is a panorama of 
wealth-producing land that makes one proud of Iowa. No matter which 
way one turns it is a succession of fertile farms that denote prosperity. 
The varying shades and colors caused by different crops and at different 
times of the year make the view enjoyable at all seasons. Planted or 
natural groves about the farmsteads, country school houses and country 
churches all contribute to the variety of beauty of the scene. The' na- 
tive growth which one overlooks in the foreground is a study in colors. 
Every kind of tree and bush has its individual shade of dress when in 





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PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 129 

leaf. As the birdman sees it from the upper air so the color connoisseur 
may enjoy the sig-ht from this bit of terra firma. 

The view in every direction is limited only by the short range of human 
vision. With a good glass one may overlook ten railroad stations and the 
valley of Lime Creek to the northwest, west, south and southeast. This 
river is skirted with native timber not yet entirely destroyed. 

With the Park area of Pilot Knob there are other mounds of less alti- 
tude, and among these hills a small lake nestles so like a brooding bird 
in its nest that many fadl to find it. It has abrupt shores nearly the 
whole distance around, and no outlets unless the water is very high. It 
is bordered by a variety of native trees and shrubs where the shy vireo 
builds her nest in peace and aquatic fowls frequent its waters to feed and 
to breed in the tall grasses nearby. In iis waters grow three species of 
pond lilies, one of which I am told is found nowhere else in Iowa. The 
lake is frequented by botanists in search of rare specimens of plants and 
shells. With slight expense it could be dredged so that fish might be 
planted. Dead Man's Lake is a gem in Nature's diadem, placed there 
when the grinding in the mills of God ceased in these parts. 

Within the area that ought to be included in a park are all the native 
trees and shrubs common in this region — walnut, ash, bas.swood, wild 
cherry, burr-oak, Jack-oak, red oak, and others. In addition to these 
there is a nice grove of white oaks, found nowhere -else in all this re- 
gion so far as I know. 

The rare species of pond lily and the white oak grove, neither of 
which is sacred in the possession of the average farmer, ought to appeal 
to the nature-lover and to the Iowa lover, inducing them to act as guard- 
ians of the future. Generations to come are the heirs of the wisdom or 
unwisdom of our procedure. 

This area of three or four quarter sedtions would be a good place 
for a game preserve, and with slight improvement in the matter of roads 
access to the interesting points could be arranged to accommodate tour- 
ists and picknickers. Everyone who visits this region and views Pilot Knob 
goes away feeling that it isn't necessary to cross the continent or ride 
the ocean waves to see the handiwork of God and the triumphs of man 
from the same spot at the same time. 

Indulge me for a further moment while I tell you in rhyme of some of 
the impressions made on me during one of my early visits to 

PILOT KNOB. 

Speak, Pilot Knob, tell me thy tale. 

I would know more of thy story. 
When didst thou erst the morning hail? 

Naked but grand in thy glory. 

Where in the north did God's great plows 

Loosen this pile, earth and bould.ers? 
Out of what bed didst thou arouse? 

Brought to this suot on whose shoulders? 



130 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

"Glacial moraine," geologists say; 

"Left by the last ice invasion. 
Youngest addition of pebbles and clay, 

Ground by a slow rock-abrasion." 

Ages ago methinks I see 

Rivers of ice on the prairie — 

Mills of the gods — and this is the debris 
Humped like a huge dromedary. 

Iowa's jDlains were leveled for man, 
Smoothed and made fit for his using. 

When in God.'s wise, mysterious plan. 
Landmarks were left of His choosing. 

Old without doubt but thou art young. 
Timed by the clock of world-making; 

Absent, unborn when the stars were hung. 
Heard not old Earth's primal quaking. 

Centuries come and centuries go, 
Speechless thou standest, beholding 

Changes which only centuries know. 
Changes of race and race-molding. 

Nations are born, empires decay. 

States are redeemed from the savage — 

Such changes are the work of a day 
Measured by thee and time's ravage. 

Thou didst stand guard when the Redman came. 
Saw his rude hut, his chaste wooing; 

Pastur'd the wild swift-footed game, 
Witness'd the hunter pursuing. 

Beacon wert thou to early guides 

Crossing these wild tractless regions? 

Ah, beacon still, and one that abides. 
Gone are the brave dusky legions. 

Hunters and warriors have pass'd on, 
Pass'd to the wierd realms of shadows. 

Paler-faced tribes came west with the dawn 
Searching for new Eldorad.os. 

Men digging wealth from the vale and plain 
Viewed from this Knob, bare and ancient 

Likewise shall pass, but thou wilt remain, 
Preaching the truth that we're transient. 



GITCHIE MANITO PARK. 

The extreme northwestern corner of Iowa is a part of a larger area 
which is one of the beauty spots of the North American continent. It 
possesses great interest historically, prehistorically, scientifically, fiction- 
ally. Twenty acres in the northwest quarter of section 11, (Tp. 100 N., 
R. XLIX W.) would be representative of 50 square miles. 

Nowhere pei'haps on the face of our globe does there exist a bit of 
landscape more picturesque, more unexpectedly novel, or more curiously 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 131 

wrought into strong contrasts of relief than found about the point 
where we meet the three great prairie states of Iowa, Minnesota and 
South Dakota. It is the very midst of the Great Plains which stretch 
out unbrokenly from the Arctic ocean to the Mexican gulf. It is a part 
of that tract which early French explorers and coureurs de bois were 
pleased to call the Coiteau des Prairies; and which an English trapper 
designated the Height of Land. For its size and altitude it is the most 
scenic spot on eailh. 

In this region are perfectly represented in minature some of the gi'and- 
est relief features of every clime; Grand Canyon of Arizona, the Royal 
Gorge of Colorado, the majectis escarpment of Glorietta, the pinnacled 
Dolomites of the Eastern Alps, the rock-walled lakes of northern Italy, 
the boiling rapids of Finnish Imatra, the leaping brooks of Norway, the 
broad water-curtain' of Niagara, and about all the boundless Girghiz 
Steppes. In days gone by also there covered this land glaciers compared 
with which existing ice-fields sink into utter insignificance. Formerly 
lofty volcanoes poured fourth their floods of molten rock. Alone of all 
great landscape types mountains are missing. Once these too were 
here, but today they lie buried beneath the level of the singularly 
flattened and monotonous prairies. 

At. the present time there are, within the limits of the area of which we 
speak, few traces in any of the relief features to indicate that there ever 
existed here a high and mighty mountain range. The ground is perhaps 
a little higher than it is either to the east or to the west. The country 
to the north is indeed a low water shed. Plain is the dominant topo- 
graphic expression of the entire region. In all directions the eye has 
unobstructed view for distances of many miles. Even the horizon is 
unbroken by hill- form or valley depression; it is as straight as the sky- 
line at sea. Travelers at the railroad stations see afar a full half-hour 
before the train arrives the black-smoke-cloud of the approaching loco- 
motive. 

Of the lofty mountains which once loomed up on the horizon every 
vestige at the surface has long since vanished. They are leveled 
to the sea, lost and forgotten. Today their foundations are slowly ex- 
humed by the corroding action of stream and rain; and here and there 
the old structures are being brought to view. The traces are many but 
inconspicuous. Recently through means of the records of many deep 
well borings and other data the height, extent and form of the ancient 
mountain ranges has been fully figured forth, and its characteristic 
features pictured out. This great earth wrinkle which sprang from the 
sea in Mesozoic times extended fi-om the east shore of present Lake 
Superior southwestward beyond the path of the Missouri river. Medially 
the rocks were bowed up more than a mile above the existing level of 
the prairies. In their prime these Siouan mountains rivaled in scenic 
beauty and grandeur the Adirondacks, the southern Appalachians or the 
Juras of today. The Jove and Boreas and Vulcan each laid claim to 
them; and each did his work of demolition quickly and well. They re- 
duced the majestic pile of adamantine down to the very level of the 
ocean, when Neptune gathered it to his own. 



132 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Although now no remnant of former mountains I'emains in the relief 
expression of the region and the entire area of once high altitudes is as 
level and as smooth as any other part of the vast interior plain, there 
persists beneath the glacial mantle, mountain structures as well pro- 
nounced and as typical as they are anywhere else in the world. The 
broadly arched strata, the folded formations, the faulted rocks, the 
intrusions of once molten magmas, the prodigious extravasations of 
volcanoes, are familiar features which are characteristically developed. 
The evidences or orogenic uprisings are unmistakable. Seldom to the 
geologist are mountain phenomena more clearly depicted. Form, extent 
and stratal attitude are measurable with great precision. 

The discovery of the old and long-buried mountain range is a matter 
so recent and so instructive that a brief state of the manner of its 
finding is not without distinct interest. It well illustrates -the method 
of modern scienific venture beyond the confines of the known. By peel- 
ing off, as it were, the thick Cretacic and glacial coverings of the area 
the entire Mesozoic floor is laid bare, and the Paleozoic formations then 
constitute the uninterrupted bedrock of the whole region. By what is 
essentially the same thing elimination of these later coverings is ac- 
complished by plotting the numerous deep-well I'ecords and other data 
relating to the underground structures. 

Casually referring to a general geological map of the area, the various. 
Paleozoic terranes are seen to be distributed in relatively narrow belts 
trending in a northwest direction. Singularly these belts in southern 
Minnesota abruptly terminate. The cause has been long perfectly in- 
explicable. It is now found that the most ancient rocks form the core of a 
rather notable arch, the axis of which is directed northeastwardly. It 
is a true anticline structure of large proportions and great longitudinal 
extent. After the country had been bowed up it was planed off quite to 
sea level. It is against this anticline that the belted Paleozoics are up- 
turned and cut off. Indeed, they too once extended unbrokenly over 
the old arch. In northern Minnesota and in Manitoba the same belted 
formations abruptly appear again. The discovery is a result of inductive 
reasoning that is quite remarkable. The whole problem was, in fact, 
fully worked out before its proofs were even sought in the field. Lines 
of reasoning and results of extensive observation are in strict accord. 
Discovery was made before the facts themselves were even presented. 

Rarely in so small a compass is there so well displayed the effects of 
every great geologic process known. For countless ages fire, fiood and 
frost have played upon these rocks without completely effacing them. 
Volcanic outbursts have seamed, seared and smelted these formations 
until often they are almost beyond recognition, but they are not yet 
destroyed. When rains have failed to wash these rocks away or the 
rivers have been unable to wear them down, the sea has time and 
again cut into them or carried them hundreds of fathoms deep, yet they 
have reared themselves again above the surface of the engulfing waters. 
Heat and sun and chill of ice have alternately contended in flaking off 
the rock surface, still they have ever presented new faces to these in- 
sidious attempts at their destruction. Winter blasts and the siroccan 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 133 

winds of summer have blown the rock areas bare and clean as a city 
pavement, and the wind-blown sands and dusts have rounded off all 
corners and polished all surfaces until the hard vitreous blocks appear 
as if fused in a furnace, without seemingly making any marked impres- 
sion. Continental glaciers have repeatedly passed over the region, planing 
off the glassy masses as a joiner does his beam of wood, and deeply groov- 
ing the smoothed facets as by some giant graver. Compression and arch- 
ing of the earth's crust have uplifted the country into mountains, but 
they have signally failed to destroy the rocks. 

The sudden appearance and rapid decline of the Siouan mountains on 
the mid-continental horizon are incidents of the Mesozoic age of geologic 
history. Brief, brilliant, almost pathetic are the succession of chief 
events. The main uplifting took place during the Triassic period. In 
the succeeding Jurassic and Comanchan times all of the ranges were 
completely razed to the present plains-level. During Cretacic time the 
waters of the ocean again rolled unbrokenly over the old bise-leveled 
region, and the bared foundations of the former mountains formed the 
bottom of the broad epi-continental sea. No great orogenic uplift was 
ever more rapidly or more completely obliterated. It is one of the mar- 
velous episodes in the long history of the North American land contest. 
In still another way the Siouan area is quite notable — perhaps the most 
remarkable spot of our country. It is one of the completest of outdoor 
laboratories for geological instruction. With an areal extent scarcely 
larger than that of some of our larger cities, it is a unique study ground. 
It is a veritable geologic multum in pai'vo. In this circumscribed dis- 
trict is represented every known category of the geological agencies. 
The whole panorama of geological science is spread out before one's 
eyes. Apt illustration abounds of the major phenomena pertaining to 
the origin,- structure and modification of the earth's crust. 

The Siouan area is a locality where the cardinal principles of earth 
science may be best taught by example and in the least possible period. 
In a week's time the entire list of princal processes and products may 
be passed in review in the field. In going to and from this spot another 
week's time permits examination of the most complete stratigraphic 
section of the continent and a review of the evolution of life generally. 
As the culmination of a year's study of geological science indoors this 
place is well worth a visit by every college student and teacher in geol- 
ogy. It is, in fact, the most typical, most compact, and illuminating area 
yet revealed wherein students may perform in a little while extensive 
geologic field work of a most practical kind. It is here that the outlines 
of field geology are acquired at a glance. The foundations are here 
quickly laid for all broader and subsequent geologic excursions into the 
farthermost points of earth. 

The realm of the ancient Siouan mountains is also famous in poetry 
and Indian lore. Principal scenes of Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha" 
are laid here, although when he wrote the epic it is not probable that 
the poet had ever been nearer the place than the Cambridge gardens 
on the shores of Back Bay. 



134 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

In the unwritten annals of the Sioux Indians, who once roamed over 
a large part of the continental interior, the Des Moines river was known 
as the Inyan-Sha-Sha-Waitpa, literally, "Stone, red-red-river," or the Red- 
stone river. This Indian name has peculiar significance. When Euro- 
pean • eyes first beheld it and for a period of more than two centuries 
thereafter this noble stream was the only all-water route in all the 
land by which, without getting out of his boat, Indian and fur trader 
could traverse the continent from the Artie Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. 

The headwaters of the Des Moines river, or Inyan-Sha-Sha-Watpa, are in 
the red quartzite district of the old Siouan mountains; but the red 
stone is the famous catlinite found associated-the much-sought stone 
from which the calumet or peace-pipe was wrought. From the pipestone 
ledges of the broad prairies spread peace on earth and good will towards 
men to the farthermost limits of the continent, to the remotest corner 
of the Indian world. Forty centuries before the Nazarene appeared on 
earth this spot was solemnly consecrated to the cause of world-wide 
peace. 



GEOLOGY OF LYON COUNTY. 
By Frank A. Wilder, Geologist. 

The Sioux quartzite or "granite," as it is commonly called, appears on 
the surface in a single township in Lyon county. The area in Minnesota 
and Dakota, however, within which exposures of this rock are common, 
is considerable. As. stated by Beyer its extreme eastern limit of outcrop 
is found at Redstone, and its most westerly exposure is near Mitchell on 
the James river. Its greatest width is about sixty miles, extending from 
Flandreau on the north, to Canton, which is on its southern border, giv- 
ing a total area of more than 6,000 miles. Its thickness has been variously 
estimated, but on this point there is little on which to base a positive 
assertion. Well drillings have not passed thi'ough it, though they have 
entered it to a considerable depth, and there are no great folds or flex- 
ures. It is thought by Todd, of the South Dakota survey, and by Beyer 
that its thickness does not exceed 1,500 feet. 

Instead of quartzite, originally the formation was water-laid sand. 
Proofs are still present in the ripple marks and lines of lamination and 
stratification. The layers varied in thickness from two feet to half an 
inch. Cross bedding was not uncommon, indicating that, in places at 
least, the sand was deposited by rapidly running water. These charac- 
teristics are still preserved in the quartzite. Subsequently the sand was 
permeated by water holding in solution silica which crystallized around 
the sand grains and cemented them together, producing a solid quartz 
mass. Microscopic study of the quartzite by Irving and Van Hise has 
made clear the fact that the silica which forms the matrix has been 
deposited along the lines that correspond with the crystalline axes of the 
several grains. The interstitial deposit of silica explains the unusual 
firmness of the rock. The same observers made clear that while silica 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 135 

was deposited about all the sand particles, frequently the quantity was 
not sufficient to fill all of the spaces between the grains. As a result, 
a sandstone easily crumbled was produced. Throughout, the quartzite 
this condition exists. In close proximity to quartzite and in the same 
beds the rock shades off into firable sandstone and even into uncemented 
sand. These softer layers are generally thin and quickly give place 
to the normal quartzite. Well drillings that have penetrated the quartzite 
show that in the midst of the harder rock there are at times several 
feet of sand. An example of this sort is found in the well of the B. C. R. 
& N. railroad at Ellsworth, Minn., one mile north of the Lyon county line, 
where the quartzite was encountered under 180 feet of drift and fifty 
feet of shale. It was penetrated to a depth of 315 feet, and frequently 
sand layers of considerable thickness were found. The color of the rocks 
varies from pink to purple, red being most prevalent. The coloring matter 
is oxide of iron, which forms a thin coating around the quartz grains. 
Near the upper surface and along joints leaching has evidently taken 
place, for the colors are dull. As determined by the Minnesota survey 
the rock is composed almost wholly of quartz'; 85.52 per cent consisting 
of that material. 

On the surface the quartzite is found in but two sections of a single 
township in Lyon county, and is nowhere exposed in Sioux county. 
These sections are 7 in Tp. 100, N., R. XLVIII, W., and 11 in Tp. 100, N., R. 
XLIX W. The first named exposure is found in the north central part 
of the section and may be seen from the road on the state line. The 
outcrop is in the bottom of a small valley and is perhaps fifty feet 
wide with a total length of half a mile. Erosion has removed the drift 
over this limited area exposing the quartzite which, doubtless, underlies 
it throughout this corner of the county. Thirty miles to the west it is 
known that the Benton shale intervenes. Section 11 of range XLIX is 
in the bottom lands of the Big Sioux. The quartzite here exposed is in 
the form of a ridge 100 yards wide and 400 yards long, rising to a height 
of twenty feet. In the bluffs just across the river an exposure of quar>;z- 
ite, evidently a part of this same ridge, rises to a height of fifty feet. The 
dip of the rock at both the Iowa exposures is six degrees north. Its 
characteristics are those common to the quartzite in other localities. The 
metamorphism is general but not universal. Occasionally the rock is 
soft enough to crumble between the fingers. The joint planes are in 
two sets at right angles to each other and from two to ten inches apart. 
In section 7 there is a beautiful example of oblique lamination. On the 
same exposure are remarkable glacial striae and grooves. Apparently 
the drift has but lately been removed from the surface. The maximum 
depth of the grooves is eight inches, which is considerable when the 
hardness of the rock is taken into account. There are two distinct sets 
of striae, one evidently more recent than the other, since in places one 
is erased by the other. The corrected readings for these striae are S. 30 
degrees E. and S. 5 degrees W. It is not necessary to suppose that they 
represent two ice sheets. The second set was probably formed by the 
same ice sheet that was responsible for the first, the change in direction 
indicating the direction of the ice movement during its recesson. 



136 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The quartzite, doubtless, underlies both counties, though buried deep 
by drift and Cretaceous deposits. On Lu Peter's farm near Little Rock, 
on the eastern boundary of Lyon county, it was encountered beneath 
the shale and drift at a depth of 360 feet. At Ellsworth, Minn., near the 
northeast corner of Lyon county, it was found beneath similar material 
at a depth of 281 feet. — Iowa Geological Survey, Annual Report, 1899, 
pp 98-100 and 105-7. 



THE SIOUX QUARTZITE. 
By Samuel Walker Beyer, Geologist. 

The Sioux quartzite is a southwestward prolongation of "Minnesota 
Point." It extends across the northwestern corner of Iowa and under- 
lies about equal areas in South Dakota and Minnesota. Its extreme 
eastern limit of outcrop is marked approximately by Redstone, at the 
junction of the Cottonwood and Minnesota rivers, while Its most 
westerly exposure is near Mitchell on the James river. It has a maxi- 
mum width of sixty miles extending from Flandreau, its northern limit, 
to Canton, just within its southern boundary. The formation, although 
generally concealed by glacial debris and by scattered patches of Cre- 
taceous, probably extends over an area of more than 6,000 square miles. 

A southwestward extension of the "Coteau des Prairies" traverses the 
quartzite area at right angles, a short distance east to its middle, form- 
ing a watershed for the tributaries of the Mississippi and Missouri 
drainage systems. The crest of the Couteau, at its middle point in the 
quartzite area, has an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet above sea level. There 
is a gentle slope westward to the James river, which, in the vicinity 
of Mitchell, has an altitude of about 1,200 feet. The eastern slope 
inclines rather more rapidly toward the Minnesota river, where, near 
the mouth of the Cottonwood, the elevation is considerably less than 
1,000 feet. The divide which separates the Red river valley from the 
valley of the Big Sioux lies some distance to the north of the quartzite 
belt, so that the surface of the formation as a whole pitches southward 
at a low angle. The Big Sioux river, with its tributaries, drains the 
major portion of the area covered by the quartzite in Dakota. 

The streams have high gradients, and have deeply incised the region. 
Rapids and falls are not uncommon. The flood plains are narrow, and 
in .some instances, as along the Split Rock creek at the "palisades" and 
the Big Sioux at Dell Rapids, there are canyons whose vertical walls 
range from fifty to seventy feet in height. In both of the above cases, 
canyon cutting is not confined to the main stream, but is being per- 
formed by the side branches as well. As an illustration of the sculpturing 
done by the short lateral branches, may be mentioned a case which oc- 
curs about one file north of the Palisades. At this point a gulch makes 
off at right angles from the main stream and extends eastward more than 
a mile. It is a narrow gorge which, in places, has reached a depth of 
from seventy-five to nearly 100 feet. This appears the more striking 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 137 

in that the surface features of the prairie give no indication of the pres- 
ence of the gorge until one is in close proximity to its edge. The erosion 
forms devoloped in the quartzite area are well shown at Jasper pool in 
Lyon county, Iowa. 

The special area in question is located about twelve miles ndrtheast 
of Sioux Falls. Corson station, on the Great Northern Railway, is just 
within the southern limit of the ai'ea and is a central point in the great 
quartzite region. Split Rock creek, a tributary of the Big Sioux, meanders 
through the area from north to south and is flanked on either side by a 
chain of hills, the summits of which rise to a height of nearly 100 feet 
above the channel of the stream. The valley of this stream measured 
from crest to crest, is about one mile in width. Near the northeast coi'- 
ner of the northeast quarter of section 15, an isolated hill, Keyes knob, 
rises within the valley and is the most prominent topographic feature in 
the vicinity. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. VI, pp 71-4. 



MISCELLANEOUS 
SUGGESTED AREAS 



Miscellaneous Areas, Authors- 

Bain, H. F. 
Barker, W. W. H. 
Burgess, E. A. 
Calvin, Samuel 
Cole, Eli Jr. 
Harlan, E. R. 
Kay, George F. 
Lees, James H. 
Leonard, A. G. 
jNIacbride, Thomas H. 
Pammel, L. H. 
Rickey, Lacey F. 
Sawyer, Mrs. Carol 
TuTTLE, Flora Mae 



MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTED AREAS. 



NUMEROUS PLACES URGED BEFORE THE COMMISSION AS SUIT- 
ABLE FOR STATE PARKS. 



THE CEDAR VALLEY NEAR OSAGE. 

By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

The valley of Cedar river presents many fine picturesque spots within 
a few miles of Osage. From the river bridge directly south of town up 
the stream as far as Mitchell the valley is bordered in many places by 
steep rocky bluffs which with their timber covering and the hardy conifers 
clinging to their faces and finding precarious footing and sustenance 
among their cracks and crannies afford excellent spots for rest and recrea- 
tion. In some cases these bluffs border the water closely, there being 
only a narrow talus slope at their foot, along which a devious path has 
been made by the numerous visitors. There is in almost all cases, how- 
ever, a level flood plain across the river which would afford good park 
spots. Among these localities are several fine bluffs on both sides of 
the river within the first half mile above the bridge south of Osage 
(Pierce's bridge), where the ground spruce and the cedar add variety to 
the more common flora of oak and elm. A short distance above the 
bridge southwest of Osage (Middle bridge), there are several rocky cliffs 
and a fine spring or series of springs, which keep the river open here 
through the winter. About a quarter of a mile below the wagon bridge 
west of town and the same distance above the bridge are splendid ver- 
tical cliffs which would afford fine beauty spots. Both of these localities 
have a crown of timber which extends back into the upland for some 
distance. The lower bluff contains a small cavern and on its face from 
the proper position one may see the profile of an Indian head in massive 
proportions. The bluffs above the bridge are what are known as the 
Chandler Cliffs. They are located just above the old dam which once 
furnished power for the electric light plant, but which is now washed 
out. It could be replaced with relative ease and would then afford an ex- 
cellent backwater pool for boating and bathing. The high rocky vertical 
cliffs would make a splendid background, and the place is easy of access, 
as it is close to the main road west from Osage. The business men of 
Osage have done a fine piece of constructive work in establishing a small 
park of about forty acres along the river southwest of town. A low dam 
has been thrown across the river, a club house built in the timber cov- 
ering the low plain which lies between the stream and the valley wall, 
and best of all a great spring which gives its name to the park has been 
walled up and made to add its beauty and service to the scene. The 
stream flowing from the spring is filled with watercress, which gives a 



142 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

delightful touch of green even in the midst of the winter's snows. Across 
the river there rises from tlie water's edge a great massive hattlement of 
rock which adds its changeless beauiy and grandeur to the whole delight- 
ful assemblage of attractions. 

Dr. Calvin states in his description of the geology of the county that 
Cedar river has evidently had a long and changeful history. Its valley 
owes its size and rugged character largely to preglacial, or at any rate 
to pre-Kansan erosion. It was formed before the lowan ice-sheet, tl^e last 
to invade this region, came down and tilled it with ice. I can do no bet- 
ter here than to quote from Doctor Calvin's report on Mitchell county, 
where he says: "There has been no permanent filling of the valley with 
drift. In type this waterway is allied to the waterways of the Driftless 
Area. There are the original precipitous rocky cliffs rising vertically from 
sixty to eighty feet and the total depth below the level of the upland 
plain ranges from ninety to 120 feet. The sides of the Cedar river val- 
ley are cut by deep erosion trenches, recalling the topography of the 
Driftless Area, or areas of thin Kansan drift; and the tributaries, few 
and insignificant though they are, enter the main stream through rock 
cut troughs and gorges." 

Another remarkable feature of the region bordering the river west of 
Osage is the fact that although most of the region is covered with drift 
from the lowan glacier, there rise out of it and above the general level, 
what Doctor Calvin called loess islands. These are tracts which the 
lowan ice either did not cover or on which it failed to leave any coating 
of clay and other debris which it carried. Hence the older topography 
and materials of the Kansan plain remain, mantled only by a thin veneer 
of loess, a fine dustlike material blown hither from the lowan drift plain 
very soon after this was uncovered by the melting of the ice. Thus we 
have here a typical example of the topography and surface mantle of a 
region which is vastly older and more mature than are those of the lowan 
region. This older topography, that of the Kansan drift, once covered all 
of Iowa except the strip in the northeast known as the Driftless Area. But 
it has since been overridden in the northcentral portions — from Winne- 
shiek to Osceola counties — by later glaciers and its characters have been 
more or less completely masked. This Osage loess island, therefore, 
takes on added interest both because of its proximity to the picturesque 
features of Cedar Valley and of its typical display of characters which 
are related to the Kansan drift region of Winneshiek county and the coun- 
ties farther south. 



FLORA OF MITCHELL COUNTY. 
By Flora Mae Tuttle. 

From the time that I opened my eyes on the beauties of our glorious 
prairies, down in that little log cabin in Delaware county, I have been 
deeply interested in the flora of our state. Years ago the unbroken 
prairies were one gorgeous flower garden. The wild lily, the painted cup, 
fireweed, ironweed, blazing star, vied with the golden glory of the sun- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 143 

flower and goldenrod; some of these have so nearly become extinct, that 
every bit of unbroken prairie is sacred ground. 

A large part of the data gathered has been in the vicinity of Osage, but 
I have alw^ays made it a point to study every locality, and vi^ith this con- 
clusion, that Osage township is typical of the rest of the county. Here 
we have river, creek, pasture, waste ground, bluffs, a very little low 
ground, sandy soil and bayous, each clothed with its own typical verdure. 

Some of the localities given after the names of the specimens found, 
are purely local and therefore need a word of explanation. 

The "Old Farm" is known to geologists as the Gable Farm in Calvin's 
Geology of Mitchell County. Two years of my childhood were spent here, 
and I shall never forget the delicate, fragrant beauty of the banks of 
Sugar Creek in the springtime when they were covered with the blue, 
pink, and purple tinted hepaticas, our mayflower. Here, too, grew Adam 
and Eve in conjugal bliss, the bloodroot, spring beauty, blue phlox and 
wild geranium each in its time and place. The road to school for a 
quarter of a mile lay through dense woods, now long since cut down, and 
sister and I dreamed dreams, and lived wonderful stories, as our weary 
feet plodded home from school. The dark green of the oaks, the trailing 
virgin's bower, and wild grape, or the crimson shades of the maples in 
autumn, made an artist of one little girl and a naturalist of the other. 

Pierce's bridge is one of my favorite haunts, and has revealed many 
secrets hid in Mother Nature's story book.. There I found the rare grey 
birch — fifty of them; the fragile cliff brake growing from a crack in the 
limestone bluff; and here too I put three blind baby woodchucks to sleep 
one Memorial Day — ^but that is another story. 

The Cedar river, or Wa-shood Ne-shun-a-ga-tah, Big Timber river, a.-5 
the Winnebagoes once called it, makes a big curve in Osage township, 
circling about Osage with a radius of two miles from west to south. 
Pierce's bridge is south of Osage; the Middle bridge is southwest, and 
two miles west of Osage on Main street is another bridge. The most be- 
wildering experience that ever came to me, was on the day I found the 
colony of deep blue-purple Chelone glabra or turtle head near the Mid- 
dle bridge. They stood all of five feet tall in the brink of the river, close 
to a bubbling spring. Every year they come true as to color. This same 
mutant has been found near Pierce's bridge by Mrs. Walter Wheeler, of 
Osage. 

The Old Lime Kiln road leads out of Osage southwest to the Middle 
bridge and is bordered on one side by vertical bluffs, an on the other side 
for some distance by Sugar Creek. 

Spring Park is a tract of about forty acres of land owned by an as- 
sociation for a picnic and camping site. Here is found a wonderful spring 
flowing the year round. From it flows a little brook filled with watei'- 
cress, blue iris, yellow marsh marigolds, and bordered by a large colony 
of the sensitive fern. 

A forest expert on strolling through these grounds one day counted 
righty-one varieties of trees. Millions of the supposedly rare muscatel 
grow here, and on a bank overlooking the spring are found the showy 
orchis; while down in a moist spot have been found the Indian pipe or 
corpse plant. 



144 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The river road follows the bank of the Cedar river for about six miles 
from the bridge west of Osage up the river to Mitchell. It is one of the 
prettiest bits of scenery in Iowa. The peacefully flowing river, with the 
wonderful reflections of tree and cloud on one side while to the right rise 
sheer bluffs of limestone, draped with the graceful bladder fern and its 
twin sister, Cystopteris fragilis, wild grape, moonseed and clematis vines 
with a touch of coral colored columbine, or pink and yellow honeysuckle, 
in their season. If you search carefully in a shaded portion on top of 
the bluff you may find the lady slipper, Cypripedium pubescens; while, 
clinging close to the water are the so-called lady slippers more properly 
known as jewel weed, both I. pallida and I. biflora. 

The Winona track leading out of Osage to the southwest, once a pro- 
posed railroad, is now only a trail, where hundreds of feet hurry away in 
the springtime, when we hear that the pussy willows are out or the May 
flowers in blossom. 

The Old Mill too is a misnomer now, for all that is left of it are the 
old mill stones and the weed grown race. This lies about half way be- 
tween Pierce's bridge and the Middle bridge. It is so dense and damp 
down in there that one is sure to find some new treasure of bird, bug or 
botany. 

The Ryan Farm lies on the prairie road that runs between Osage and 
Mitchell and just off from the river road. It is one of my favorite haunts 
not only because of the natural beauties I find there but because of the 
hospitality of its owners. 

The Indian Head Bluff is on the east bank of the Cedar river about a 
quarter of a mile down from the bridge west on Main street. Here we 
find again the combination of bluff, river bank and field pasture, that 
brings such a. varied flora. The base of the cluff is an example of one 
of the most puzzling non-conformities in Iowa, while the upper layers 
of rock strongly resemble the features of an Indian, with a juniper or red 
cedar tree for a scalp lock. 

Pelton's woods is a wood tract a quarter of a mile south of the fair 
grounds, in Osage. They are never disturbed save as the writer and her 
friends search for birds and plants. The shield ferns here grow to enor- 
mous size, and here also is a large colony of the sensitive fern, while oc- 
casionally in the heart of these woods we have found the showy orchis. 



BIXBY PARK, CLAYTON COUNTY. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

Some men and women for the pure love of nature have whole-heartedly 
set aside areas to be preserved so that not only the present, but future 
generations can enjoy what has been given to us. Mr. W. J. Bixby, of 
Edgewood, a former member of the house of representatives from Dela- 
ware county, has purchased a tract of land in Clayton county so that 
others might enjoy what he and Mrs. Bixby have long enjoyed. During 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 145 

the autumn I had the pleasure of going to this region, as a guest of the 
Bixbys. It was indeed, a rare pleasure to view one of the beauty spots 
of Iowa. 

Leaving the rolling fertile Iowa prairies, with their cornfields and 
green pastures, we went into a long ravine with a gently sloping road, 
both sides of the road being lined with one of the most gorgeous display 
of goldenrods and asters I have ever seen. The autumn tinge of the 
sumach, dogwood and hard maple covered the steep slopes, The little 
side ravines were dotted with the hard maple, white oak, quercitron oak, 
red oak, hickory, slippery elm, basswood and butternut. This ravine con- 
nects with a larger one, the real mecca of the lover of nature. A beau- 
tiful stream of pure water fed by springs comes from the adjacent out- 
crop of limestone. On the steep a carpet of the Canadian yew under the 
tall gray or sweet birch, red oak, butternut, bitternut, basswood and 
hickory and white or paper birch. In the little narrow valley were the 
great red oaks, sugar and black maple and basswood. Every moist rock 
on the hillside was covered with great masses of the bladder fern and 
great bunches of osmunda and spleenwort presented a paradise for the 
lover of plants and the lover of wild life in general. Not a tree has been 
cut in this area, except where it was necessary to do so for the general 
good of the preserve, since it is the idea of Mr. Bixby that this place shall 
be a park, in the true sense of the word. 

My botanical work here was done somewhat hurriedly, but I noted 
the following plants in the region. (The list is not arranged in sys- 
tematic order). Aster (Aster sagittifolius), A. Drummondii, A. laevis, A. 
sericeus, A. Novae-angliae, A. novibelgii, A. multiflorus, A. umbellatus), 
golden rods (Solidago canadensis, S. serotina, S. ulmifolia, S. latifolia, S. 
speciosa, S. nemoralis), boneset (Eupatorium purpureum, E. ageratoides, 
E. perfoliatum), ferns (Cystopteris fragilis, C. bulbifera, Asplenium Filix- 
femina, Adiantum pedatum, Pteris aquilina, Onoclea sensibilis, Polypodium 
vulgare, Woodsia obtusa), grasses (Cinna arundinacea, Leersia virginica, 
L. oryzoides, Bromus purgans, B. ciliatus, Muhlenbergia sylvatica, M. 
Mexicana, Poa pratensis, Andropogon scoparius, A. furcatus, Elymus vir- 
ginicus, E. canadensis), oaks (Quercus ellipsoidalis, Q. alba, Q. acuminata. 
Q. velutina, Q. rubra, Q. macrocarpa), hickories (Carya ovata, C. cordi- 
formis), walnut and butternut (Juglans cinera, J. nigra), maples (Acer 
nigrum, A. saccharum, A. saccharium, A. negundo), ninebark (Physocarpus 
opulifolius), cherries (Prunus am6ricana P. serotina, P. serotina, P. vir- 
giniana, P. pennsylvanica), service berry (Amelanchier canadensis), crab 
and haws (Pyrus lowensis, Crataegus mollis, C. punctata), dogwood.s 
(Cornus asperifolia, C. alternifolia, C. circinate, C. amomum), sumach 
(Rhus glabra, R. hirta, R. toxicodendron), honeysuckles (Lonicera glauca, 
L. Sullivantii, Dierville trifida), buckthorn (Rhamus lanceolata) basswood 
(Tiliaamericana), poplars and aspen (Populus deltoidea, P. grandidentata, 
P. tremuloides), ashes (Fraxinus lanceolata, F. nigra), red cedar (Juni- 
perus virginiana), yew (Taxus canadensis), wild grape and Virginia creep- 
er (Vitis vulpina, Ampelopsis quinquefolia), moon seed (Menispermum 
canadense), hazel (Carylus americana), red raspberry, black cap rasp- 
berry (Rubus strigosus, R. occidentale), Spring beauty (Clay tenia vir- 



146 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

giniana), Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), violets (Viola pu- 
bescens, V. cucullata, V. delphifolia, V. pedata), hepatica (Hepatica acuti- 
loba), trillium (Trillium erectum), May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), 
blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), meadow rue (Thalictrum dioi- 
cum), moccasin flower (Cypripedium pubescens). 

This list is only a partial and very incomplete one. It shows, how- 
ever, the interest attached to the region, from a scientific standpoint. 



TETE DES MORTS AND VICINITY. 
By Eli Cole, Jr. 

In looking over the township map of the state of Iowa one's attention 
is immediately arrested by a certain township bearing a peculiar name, 
and not like hundreds of others bearing the name of some American 
statesman, or some geographical significance. 

This township referred to is located in the northeast corner of Jackson 
county, and is named Tete des Morts. This name was given in 1684 by. 
Father Louis Hennepin and his associates. La Motte and Le Fevre. 

The town of La Motte is located on a high hill seven miles westward, 
and the name Le Fevre was given to the river opposite Tete des Morts, 
an affluent to the Mississippi which in the two decades prior to 1860 bore 
a large commerce, for Galena, Illinois, located thereon was then the 
metropolis of the west. 

Tete des Morts township was necessarily one of the firet townships in 
the' state of Iowa to be settled by the white man, by reason of its 
proximity to Galena, being immediately opposite and across the Missis- 
sippi river from Galena, Illinois, situated on the Fevre river. 

It was according to tradition the battle ground between the Winne- 
bagoes. Sacs and Foxes on the one side and the Sioux on the other, 
wherein the Sioux were victorious and drove their adversaries over the 
high cliffs bordering on the river and was given that suggestive name by 
the Jesuit missionary. Father Louis Hennepin, '"Tete des Morts" or the 
"Head of Death." 

The name given, however, was not the sole and only distinction, but 
it was in an early day of Iowa history settled by French and until re- 
cently the French language and Luxemburg dialect was the sole medium 
of speech. French and foreign customs have ever prevailed and it seems 
like a little French island surrounded by an immense American sea. No 
more picturesque village is to be found on the American continent, out- 
sideside of Quebec Province, and it has ever retained every foreign and 
antique characteristic, than the village of St. Donatus, changed in 1870 
by the United States from Tete des Morts. 

The creek is still called Tete des MoTts and is one of the chief charms 
of the valley winding through a broken and rugged country until its con- 
flucrce with the Mississippi whose capacious and insatiable maw seems 
never satisfied with these hundreds of little feeders. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 147 

Only until recently lias this attractive little village been visited by 
the tourist, and since the advent of the automobile, many thousands tour 
from Bellevue, the scene of the historic "Bellevue War" to Dubuque via 
Tete des Morts — the main charm of the drive. 

Due credit must be given Harper & Bros., New York publishers, for 
bringing this section into the limelight and by reason of their extensive 
write up some years ago, was one of the main incentives to promote 
tourist travel in this beautiful and quaint village. 

This village has peculiarities strictly its own. The houses are adobu, 
each separate and distinct in itself, no partition walls whatever, with a 
generous garden patch and vineyard. 

The church (Roman Catholic) and convent are located on a high hill, 
the twelve stations of the cross bein^ brought into bold relief by reason 
of the absence of- foliage from the hill, and across the valley is the 
Lutheran church which protests, but frowns not, but they beckon kindly 
to each other, for the people live in peace and amity. 

Tlie people of eastern Iowa and elsewhere are just beginning to awaken 
to the priceless little gem in our midst and it is ever to be hoped that 
care and foresight will preserve this historical antique from vandalism 
and the restlessness of modern day methods. 

St. Donatus or Tete des Morts village should l)e preserved and not al- 
lowed some few years hence to be merely a myth or a memory. 

It is historical ground where Hennepin, La Salle, La Motte, La Fevre 
and other white men first set foot on Iowa soil — the home of Iowa's first 
white settlers, the burial ground of the Winnebagoes, a tribe only men- 
tioned now, but once a large nation'. Many of the marks and monuments 
are distinctly visible at this time, the home of Potosi and Peosta and a 
few Black Hawks forming a retreat and hiding place when pursued and 
hounded by the whites. 

It is lavishly aided by nature with a vast and changing variety of 
scenery, rocks, hills, springs, creeks, valleys and rivers which ever pre- 
serve their originality and are not subject to duplications. 

It is ever to be regretted that Longfellow overlooked this treasure 
ground and failed to immortalize it, so rich in tradition and history and 
attraction, and given preference to many other places not nearly as his- 
torical or attractive or by nature beautiful. 



PARK SITES ALONG UPPER OES MOINES VALLEY. 
By James H. Leec, Geologist. 

At a time when the establishment of state parks is a prominent subject 
of discussion among lovers of nature and those who are interested in the 
conservation and improvement of our resources, both tangible and in 
tangible, it is natural that attention be directed toward the central and 
chief watercourse of the state in the search for suitable sites for recrea- 
tion centers. So the question arises as to Ihe possibilities for locating 
parks, state, district, or county, along the valley of Des Moines river. A 



148 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

number of years ago the writer enjoyed the opportunity of making a study 
of the physical features of Des Moines valley for the Iowa Geological Sur- 
vey and from the observations then made the following notes are drawn. 

It is evident to one who is at all familiar with the region that there is 
an abundance of localities along this valley which are well adapted to 
conversion into parks or which could with some care and effort be trans- 
formed into excellent pleasure grounds. The chief question in the mat- 
ter of location, perhaps, is that of establishing such parks where they 
will be conveniently accessible, not only to the automobile owner, he can 
go anywhere, but also to the large group of people, even in our own state, 
who are less favored in the matter of transportation facilities. However, 
ihere are in the vicinity of most of the cities and towns along the river, 
areas, large or small, which are adapted for park making. 

The east fork of the Des Moines river, owing to its character, has fewer 
potential park sites than has the west fork. In the first place it is 
smaller and hence has a narrower, shallower valley, which is nowhere, 
except in the lower few miles, cut to rock. Then more of the surrounding 
land is level prairie and does not offer the diversity of landscape which is 
present along some parts of the west fork. Nevertheless there are a 
number of really picturesque localities which are deserving of mention. 

In Minnesota the east fork is a small stream a few miles in length 
which flows into Alton Lake, known also as the Inlet. This in turn 
empties by a channel a mile or so long into Tuttle Lake, which is crossed 
by the state line. Tuttle Lake covers about four square miles and on the 
south shore has several attractive areas which while not high above the 
water are well wooded and make desirable camp and cottage sites. These 
areas would make an excellent park and should be purchased by the state 
for public use. 

While Iowa Lake is not strictly tributary to the Des Moines it is so 
near by that mention may be made of it here. It also lies on the state 
line, five miles east of Tuttle Lake, and its outlet is to the east toward 
Blue Earth river. Iowa Lake is of interest geologically because it is at 
the southern end of a series, known as the Chain Lakes, which occupy 
part of a former river valley of considerable size which seems to have 
drained southward during preglacial or interglacial times. Silver Lake, 
the next one to the north, is more popular as a resort, as it is deeper and 
the banks are higher. However, Iowa I^ake has a charming shore line 
and offers a very desii'able site for a state park, which should by all means 
be established at an early date. Iowa has all too few lakes and any which 
have such natural beauty as Iowa Lake should be made available to all. 
The State Highway Commission in its report on Iowa lakes recommends 
the buying of park sites at both Tuttle and Iowa lakes. 

For a number of miles below Tuttle Lake the Des Moines valley is for 
the most part shallow and its walls are gentle and bare of timber. But 
east of Burt it unites with an interglacial valley, known as Union Slough, 
and below this point it is deeper, its walls are steeper, and grooves of 
timber add touches of beauty to its vistas. At and immediately below 
Algona the east wall is rugged and tree covered and here should be a 
most desirable park site which now is used only for occasional picnics or 
for cow pastures. This condition extends all the way to Irvington, five 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 149 

or six miles to tlie south, so that attractive spots are present in abund- 
ance. At Livermore again, steep bluffs, timber covered, a fairly wide bot- 
tom land, and bordering prairie make a very pleasing combination of nat- 
ural feature's. Another likely spot for park purposes is in the vicinity 
of Dakota, where the forks of the river come together. South of the vil- 
lage a long, high ridge, well timber covered and with fairly steep slopes 
and flat top, separates the two valleys and would afford a beautiful park 
location. Some small outcroppings of the bedrock add to the scientific 
interest of the region. 

The west fork stretches a hundred miles across southwestern Minne- 
sota before it reaches Iowa. Hence it is a fair sized stream in a goodly 
valley where it crosses the state line. The first locality on the Iowa side 
which is especially desirable for park purposes, is near Estherville. The 
east bluff just north of town is fairly steep and well wooded and below 
town the west wall is quite rugged and is heavily timbered. It seems 
that along much of its length in Emmet county the west wall of the val- 
ley formed the eastern margin of a belt of rough glacial morainic coun- 
try. This condition, aided by post-glacial erosion of the valley wall, has 
made for exceedingly picturesque scenery, which should be preserved for 
all time. Beyond the distance of a mile or two below town the timber is 
scattering and for many miles the walls are nearly treeless, except in 
sheltered spots. In Palo Alto county, too, the belt of rough country leaves 
the river, hence the valley is shallow and the slopes are gentle. At Bm- 
metsburg, however, art is assisting nature in making a beauty suot of a 
long, narrow, rather shallow pool known as Medium Lake, around whose 
southern end the town has grown. This already is a credit to the fore 
sight of the townspeople and is destined to be of increasing beauty and 
utility. 

Just above Bradgate, at the western edge of Humboldt county, the 
river, which has been following a postglacial valley, enters an older, inter- 
glacial watercourse. This is deeper and is bounded by steeper walls than 
the younger valley, hence attractive points and beauty spots are morp 
abundant. Just south of Bradgate the steep bluff is clothed for a mile 
with a fringe of timber which with care would make a pretty spot and 
which is easy of access from the town. At Humboldt again the bluff 
rises sixty or seventy feeit above the rocky channel, reminding one, to use 
President Macbride's phrase, of "some New England mountain channel, 
rather than the quiet creeping river of the level prairie." This bluff also 
is well timbered and makes a most picturesque scene. Just above Hum- 
boldt a dam recently constructed has made an artificial lake which will 
add to the assets of the region. Below Humboldt is the long, narrow 
ridge between the river forks which already has been mentioned. Fron\ 
the junction of the forks to Fort Dodge, however, the east side of the val- 
ley affords almost every desideratum for pleasure grounds — steep bluffs, 
high, level bottom lands, vertical rock scarps, a shelter of timber, an 
artificial lake behind a high dam, in fact, about all that could be desired. 
Below Fort Dodge the valley of Two Mile Creek, along which the inter- 
urban extends, may be mentioned as a typical valley for this region. The 
unique deposit of gypsum, for which Fort Dodge is famous, forms cliffs and 
scarps, and timber fills the little valley through which the singing stream 



150 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

winds its way to the great river. A multitude of similar valleys make 
spots of local interest and charm and the main valley as well with its al- 
ternating wooded slopes and sandstone cliffs forms a picture hard to ex- 
cel in all the plains country. From Fort Dodge to Boone the river is 
winding its course through piles of glacial debris which are heaped in 
ever heightening magnitude to their culmination in the Ga^ry moraine 
near Frase, where they rise two hundred and sixty feet above the stream 
which flows by their feet. One of the most magnificent stretches of 
scenery alohg the river lies between Fraser and Boone, where the inter 
urban skirts the wall from the river bridge just below Fraser to where il 
finally reaches the upland above Boone. The winding river flowing be 
tween its high walls, here bare and boulder strewn, there clothed with 
forest from water's edge to summit, makes a picture which once seen will 
never be forgotten, whether the picture be tinted with the glorious green 
of summer or with the glowing and variegated colors of autumn. Soma en- 
terprising soul has established a little amusement park in the nook be- 
tween river and bluff close to the bridge by which the interurban crosses 
the river. This is only a suggestion of the latent possibilities of the 
region. 

The locality known through central Iowa as The Ledges, a few miles 
below Moingona, in the little valley of Peese Creek, offers another oppor- 
tunity for the locating of a public park of rare charm and attractiveness. 
The massive sandstone walls, vertical or overhanging, with their fringe of 
verdure, are in striking contrast with the smooth slopes above Boone, but 
are equally gratifying to the esthetic seinse, and the spot has long enjoyed 
the favor of campers and pleasure seekers from miles about. 

Between Bcone and Des Moines the entire stretch of valley is a natural 
park and it is diflicult to choose a locality for preferment. The long, nar- 
row ridge which separates Des Moines and Beaver valleys is already in 
part a national reservation and it would be well to have even mors of th^ 
river bluff and adjacent bottom lands included, from the point of view of 
park making, at least. The wide valley of the Beaver, together with the 
broad river flats opposite its mouth, is of geologic interest from the fact 
that it represents the original valley of the Des Moines. A spot which 
has always held a fascination for the writer is the south bluff of Des 
Moines valley directly opposite the state house. A smooth rounded slope 
with a few trees and a picturesque old farmistead stands out amid the sui'- 
rounding timber land like one of nature's own pleasure grounds and offers 
a perpetual appeal to "come across." 

Another point whicli is of interest as a geologic phenomenon as well as 
for its scenic attractiveness is Red Rock bluff, near the village of Red 
Rock, about thirty miles below Des Moines. The wall of red sandstone 
which gives its name of tlie locality rises high above the river and over- 
looks the broad and fertile valley which separates it from the frowning 
bluff beyond. Mention might also be made of three high ridges between 
Harvey and Tracy which stand like sentinels guarding the broad valley at 
their feet. They are separated from the uplands behind them by a broad 
sag which has furnished a natural route for the railways which connect 
the villages near them. They would afford excellent park sites to the 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 151 

pleasure seekers as well as a continual problem regarding their origin, to 
the more thoughtfully disposed. 

It may seem like reversing the laws of nature to state that Des Moines 
valley is not so deep below Des Moines as it is above Boone, but such is 
the case and this fact, coupled with the greater age of this lower portion, 
aooounts for the longer, gentler slopes and less rugged character of the 
valley. However, this is partly counteracted by the increased number of 
outcropping's of resistant bedrock, which afford here and there picturesque 
scarps and cliffs of pleasing aspect. One of the more notable of these lo- 
calities is that at Cliffland, between Ottumwa and Eldon. The great 
vertical wall of sandstone which rises sheer above the flat valley offers 
with its timber covering a most attractive scene in our land of fields and 
prairies. Below Eldon the limestones rise high in the hills, and their rug- 
ged walls gleaming from out their forest cloak or standing green with the 
moss of ages make pictures which will hang long on memory's chamber 
walls. The vicinity of the great '"oxbow" in the valley at Keosauqua offers 
one of the best examples of this type of scene. Near Kilbourn at the 
upper extremity of the great bend, below Mount Zion, at the lower limb, 
and at various places around the loop these nuiral escarpments stand at 
the valley's margin as centers of natural beauty. Similar conditions pre- 
vail in the vicinity of those bits of rare antique, Bentonsport and Bona- 
parte, which lie between Keosauqua and Farmington. These different 
towns offer another sort of interest in that they were sites of the early at- 
tempts by means of locks and dams to improve river navigation. Some 
of the old lock walls at Keosauqua, are yet standing in fairly good repair. 
Just below Oroton another massive cliff rises straight from the river's 
edge, bearing aloft its crown of foliage and affording the traveler another 
of those gems of quiet beauty which make this part of the valley so at- 
tractive. An old-time ferry will carry the visiter from Croton to Athens 
on the Missouri side and will add the spice of variety to the perspective 
of valley and bluff and forest which he may there gain. In the vicinity of 
Keokuk, too, the city which is built upon a hill, with its beautiful outlook 
over the Des Moines, the river road, on one side, and over the great 
Father of Waters on the other, there are abundant localities which would 
lend themselves delightfully to the dreams and plans of the park maker. 
Such a spot is that one well named Buena Vista, about three miles west of 
Keokuk, where the Des Moines mingles its watea's with the great flood of 
the master stream. Here are rocky hills and forest-filled valleys and 
geode-bearing shales to attract the curious, and here too is the east wall 
of a half buried abandoned goirge of Mississippi river which stretches 
northward to Burlington and whose width reaches westward to San Prairie 
(Vincennes) and St. Francisville on the Missouri side, eight miles as the 
crow flies. No rock shows its face in this interval, only sand and clay, 
which have been fashioned by rains and rushing waters into gullies and 
miniature gorges, fine examples of the activity of nature's agencies. 

The foregoing sketches will, it is hoped, have demonstrated the truth- 
fulness of the statement made earlier, that Des Mioines valley offers 
abundance of sites for public parks and well merits the attention and in- 
terest of all who are concerned, from whatever point of view, in perpetua- 
ting the natural beauties of our state. What is needed is intelligent co- 



152 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

operation among all who have it in their power to see that Iowa remains 
in deed and in truth what her first citizens called her — Beautiful Land. — 
Iowa Conservation, Vol. I, No. 4, p. 63. 



THE MONKEY MOUNTAIN AREA NEAR OTTUMWA. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The Monkey Mountain area is well known to the people of Ottumwa. 
From the top of this eminence one gets a broad sweep of the valley of 
the Des Moines, the city not far distant and the hills on the opposite side 
of the river. One has indeed a rare view from the hill. The portion to- 
wards the bottom has some exposures of the coal measure sandstone. 
Fine narrow valleys drain towards the Des Moines. These are mostly 
wooded. The steep slope of Monkey Mountain itself towards the river 
is covered with young growth of white, black, bur, quercitron and shingle 
oak, basswood, choke cherry, black cherry, slippery and American elm. 
basswood, white ash, hop horn beam, red bud, honey locust and coffee 
bean, on the lower slope sycamore, river birch, cottonwood, black willow, 
almond leaved willow. There are numerous interesting herbaceous plants 
like the blue and yellow violet, mandrake, bloodroot, blue larkspur, colum- 
bine. New Jereey tea, silky cornel (Cornus asperifolia) hazel, buck bush, 
(Symphoricarpos orbiculatus), rose (Rosa blanda), prairie willow (Salix 
humilis). The region is interesting from a scenic standpoint as well as 
the historic because of the fine Indian mounds on the top of the hill. 

This region should, of course, in time be acquired. It is contiguous to 
the thriving city of Ottumwa and with the modern automobile, is accessible 
in a few minutes. 

I have known the state for many years, but I am astonished at the 
number of interesting beauty spots in Iowa and especially along the Des 
Moines. 



LOWER DES MOINES. 

The following is from a letter from Chas. A. Wellman: 
"I have just been talking to a few of the leading citizens here about a 
well located rough tract of land, which is commonly known heire as 
'Monkey Mountain.' This land lies along the south bank of the Des 
Moines river about three miles below Ottumwa, in sections 9 and 15, 
Keokuk township, Wapello county. 

"Along in 1910 and 1911, the war department caused the Des Moines 
river to be surveyed. Major Meigs was in charge, and he went upon this 
beautiful hill and said it was one of the prettiest views he had ever seen 
in Iowa. There is a rising bank, fully a hundred feet high, and a view of 
ten miles, where the Des Moines river bends, with the fertile valley across 
the river, crops, magnificent farm buildings, and in a distance the city of 
Ottumwa. At the foot of this high bank is a good beach. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 153 

"I am of the opinion that if we could get the state to acquire this land, 
which may be some two hundi-ed acres, and as much more as may be 
needed. It is cheap land and it is my opinion that it can be bought on an 
average of $50 an acre, and possibly less. 

"We would like to get the state interested in looking over this ground 
and get something started before the owners find out anything about what 
the purpose is, so that they would not inflate the price. 

"Will you please be kind enough to advise me in the premises? It is 
my opinion that we could arrange a drive, and later on a boulevard be- 
tween this land and Ottumwa, and make use of it immediately." 



STONE PARK, SIOUX CITY. 

By E. A. Burgess. 

I heartily concur in the suggestion that a number of fair sized parks, 
located in different parts of the state, would serve the public interests 
better than a single large park. In that connection in my judgment. Stone 
Park, in Sioux City, by making additions up and down the river, and ex- 
tending the park further eastward, making it embrace some 3,000 acres of 
land, is an admirable location for a state park. As a natural preserve for 
birds and animal life, and plant life, it has unusual features to recommend 
it. The necessary adjoining land could also be obtained at a reasonable 
•price, and I am certain that arrangements could be made with the city to 
bring about such a result. There are some half dozen localities in the 
state which are peculiarly adapted for state park purposes, and I regard 
Stone Park as having advantages for such purposes not excelled by any 
of these other localities. 



OCHEYEDAN MOUND, OSCEOLA COUNTY. 

By George F. Kay, Geologist. 

Among the many interesting surface features of Iowa, there are few, 
if any, that have attracted more attention or have excited more wonder 
than Ocheyedan Mound, which is thought by many persons to be the most 
remarkable and beautiful hill in all northwestern Iowa. It lies within a 
region of varied topogi-aphic features, including lakes, ponds and marshes, 
level prairies ^vith fine farms, and precipitous hills, some of which are in 
groups with no distinctive arrangement, while others, perhaps best illus- 
trated by Ocheyedan mound, are isolated and rise somewhat abruptly 
above their level surroundings. 

The miound is about one and one-third miles southeast of the town of 
Ocheyedan, in Osceola county, its summit is about one hundred and seventy 
feet above the flood plain of Ocheyedan river, which is a short distance to 
the west of the mound. It is, moreover, one of the high points in Iowa, 
its elevation being about 1,670 feet above sea level. The general trend of 



154 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the mound is northeast-southwest, in whicli direction its extreme length is 
about one-third of a mile. Its width is narrow compared with its length: 
in places along its summit it is only a few yards wide. The material of 
the mound is chiefly sand and gravel, and on its surface lie boulders of 
various sizes, including rocks of many kinds, among them being granites, 
Sioux quartzites, and limestones. From its summit there may be seen in 
all directions a beautiful landscape, dotted here and there with prosperous 
homes. 

Ocheyedan mound has historic interest and has long been recognized 
as a conspicuous landmark in northwestern Iowa. Nicollet, who exp'ored 
this region as early as 1838-1839, refers to this mound and states that the 
name "Ocheyedan" means "the spot where they cry," which alluded to the 
customs of the Indians to repair to elevated situations to weep over their 
dead relatives. Dr. Thomas H. Macbride, president emeritus of the Uni- 
versity of Iowa, in a report on the geology of Osceola county, published by 
the Iowa Geological Survey, describes the hills of the region and refers to 
Ocheyedan mound as follows: "The most remarkable of all these hills, a 
beautiful object in itself, and by far the most elegant illustration of its 
type, is the long time famous Ocheyedan mound." 

The mound is a kame, which signifies that it is of glacial origin. Kames 
are hills and nidges of stratified drift deposited In connection with 
glaciers at the mouths of ice tunnels or ice channels and in re-ientraut 
angles of the edge of the ice. They are associated in many places with 
unstratified drift deposited at the terminus of a glacier, or at its edge, 
while it was retreating. Ocheyedan mound was foraied during the reces- 
sion of the Wisconsin ice sheet, which invaded our state many thousands 
of years ago. 

The esthetic value of such beautiful and interesting g'eiologlcal 
phenomena as Ocheyedan mound should be fully appreciated by the citi- 
zens of the state, and every effort should be made to prevent their destnic- 
tion. Already Ocheyedan mound has been somewhat marred by the re- 
moval at its summit of sand and gravel which was used for commercial 
purposes. To be sure, the mound is valuable for the many tons of ma- 
terial that might be taken from it to be used for road-making or other 
purposes, but of far greater value is it to the state as a beauty spot, a 
landmark, which should be conserved for future generations just as 
zealously as we are wont to conserve our material resources. — Iowa 
Academy of Science, Vol. XXIV, pp. 101-2. 



DES MOINES BLUFFS IN MAHASKA COUNTY. 

By L. H. Pammei, Botanist. 

The sandstone bluffs of the coal measure type are well known to the 
people of this vicinity. This resion was formerly much used for picnic 
purposes. It is on the Cedar creek which empties into the Des Moines 
a few miles below the large mass of sandstone rocks near the mouth of 
the Cedar creek which is just above the old town of Rochester. Some of 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 155 

the old buildings of the town of Rochester are now being used by summer 
resorters. There are at least a half dozen cottages belonging to people 
from Oskaloosa, who make use of the water of the Des Moines and the 
Cedar rivers and the Des Moines bluffs for an outing. From the highest 
points on these bluffs one can see the Des Moines valley and get a good 
view of the hills on the opposite side of the stream. The rocks facing 
the river are in some instances nearly 100 feet high and the hills have 
been cut by gorges, one of which is nearly a half a mile long, with sand- 
stone cliffs on each side. There are at least five of these canyons. The 
mouths of some of the larger are from three to four hundred feet wide 
and the smaller from twenty-five to thirty, while still others are only 
about fifteen feet across. In the little valleys a large variety of plants 
are to be found like the butternut, black walnut, hard maple, honey locust, 
hackberry, almond leaved willow, black willow, green ash, white ash, while 
the slopes are coVered with the same type of plants, except the willows. 
You also find an abundance of hophorn beam, service berry, choke cherry, 
black cherry, white oak, some of the sandstone rocks are nearly devoid of 
any vegetation except the reindeer lichen and several species of moss. 
On the shady side of the rocks were found two or thr.ee of the rarer 
species of ferns in the state, namely (Aspidium Goldianum), a variety of 
Aspidium spinulosum, two species of bladder ferns, (Cypstoperis bulbi- 
fera, C. fragalis), Woodsia, Asplenium Filix-foemina, the walking leaf fern 
(Oampto&QiriDs), Polypody', (Poly podium vulgare), maid em hair fefn, 
flowering fern (Osmunida claytoniana) . In point of species there are 
nearly as many ferns in this region as there are in the Wild Cat Den re- 
gion at Muscatine. It certainly is gratifying that the people of this re- 
gion have protected the area and that so little destruction has occurred. 

There are also many interesting herbaceous plants like Mitella diphylla, 
touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida), sanicle, avens, everlasting columbine, 
dutchman's breeches, spring beauty, ma»drake, sweet Williams, etc., 
also such shrubs as cornel, hazel, buck bush, etc. 

From a scientific aspect this area is well worth preserving, and should 
be included in our general scheme for parks. I am told that the land can 
be had at a reasonable rate and the people of Oskaloosa are making efforts 
to have this set aside for a state park. 



LITTLE WALL LAKE. HAMILTON COUNTY. 

By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Little Wall Lake is one of the most southern of the lakes of the Wis- 
consin drift plain and indeed lies at the margin of the lake I'egion of north 
central Iowa. The nearest lake of any value as a pleasure resort is Wall 
lake in Wright county, which is twenty-three miles to the north. There 
are no lakes to the east or south and westward the nearest and only 
lakes are Twin lakes in Calhoun county and Wall lake in Sac county, 
each about seventy miles away. It will be clear then that Little Wall 
lake can have no. competition as a pleasure resort, nor is there any other 
which can take its place. 



156 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Professoi' Macbride in describing this lake used the following language: 
"Little Wall lake, south of Cairo lake three or four miles, is a picturesque 
little pond, half a mile wide and a mile or more long, nearly surrounded 
by steep, wall-like hills. Had it depth Little Wall lake would be the at- 
traction of the landscape, but its shallowness makes it simply a great marsh 
filled from side to side with aquatic plants. The margins are dark with 
sedges. In the middle the oat-tail lifts its blades undisturbed while over 
the deeper waters the pond lillies spread their broad leaves like inverted 
shields and star the surface with flowers. Innumerable birds fill the air 
with strident, unmusical sounds; ducks steer their miniature fleets about; 
mud hens wade among the calamus roots; blackbirds cry as If life de- 
pended upon unceasing noise ; the tern hovers above the more open waters 
or sit upon the sand as if by sea; the bittern sits among the reeds, bill 
straight up, more like an inverted stake than any stake-driver; and over 
all. In the evening, clouds of insects — mosquitoes make gray the air on 
every side. Por the rest, boulders now are few; occasionally a big one 
lies on the shore tumbled down by the undermining of the waves, here 
and there sufficient when the lake is full, to beat against the steeper 
shores. In the earlier morning the mists from the waters screen from 
the traveler the beautiful grain covered hills that slope down on every 
side and the lake lies in primitive wildness, an isolated reminder of the 
wierd marshy topography that so recently ch,aracterizied not these coun- 
ties only, but all northwestern Iowa, the land of a thousand lakes." — 
(Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. X, pp. 117-S.) 

A report made about eight years later by the Iowa Highway Commis- 
sion, while more technical, is in the same tone and gives a similar im- 
pression regarding the value of the lake. Tliis report says: 

"Little Wall lake is situated in sections 9, 10, 15 and 16 of township 86 
north, range 24 west. It is most easily reached by driving three miles 
south of Jewell Junction. Th'e highway leads directly to the lake and 
skirts its western shore. Webster City is twenty-two miles to the north- 
west, Iowa Palls thirty-four miles to the northeast. The nearest lake is 
Big Wall Lake in W^right county, which is twenty-three miles due north. 

"This lake is not prepossessing on first sight, due largely to the fact 
that a large part of the surface is grown up to rushes. The banks, how- 
ever, are good and on the east side considerable natural timber is found. 
In several places around the shores typical walls pushed up by the ice are 
to be seen. These seem to show that at some time in the past the water 
level was considerably above where it is at present. Scarcely any low- 
land which cannot be drained is to be found near the lake. 

"The water varies in depth from three feet in the northwest part of the 
lake to six feet in the southeastern part. 

"The are^a now is 230 acres. The area enclosed by the meander is 273 
acres. The water shed is very small. 

"At the present time the lake is more of a hunting resort than any- 
thing else. A hunting lodge is maintained on the west side, and several 
boats are to be seen along the lake shores. It is reported that fair 
strings of bullheads are taken from its waters. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 157 

"The water supply is not all that can be desired. The tributary area so 
far as surface drainage is concerned is so meag-er as to make one wonder 
why there is a lake at all. It seems probable that this lake, like some 
others, must receive part of its water by a gradual infiltration from the 
gravels of the glacial drift on which it lies. It is reported to have gone 
dry as did many of the lakes of the state in 1894. During most years, 
however, there is water there. 

"A low place in the bank on the southeast side of the lake is the natural 
outlet. This leads away to the southeast and empties into the Skunk 
river. The waiter in the lake is nearly three feet lower than the outlet. 

"In the northern part of the lake the bottom is of silt. In the southern 
and eastern parts considerable sand and gravel are found. 

"People in the vicinity are in favor of keeping the lake and they wish 
very much to see it improved." 

After an inspection of the map which accompanies this report and a 
perusal of the documents, it seems that it is the part of wisdom to retain 
this lake and make it more useful to the people of this part of the state. 
Iowa has enough good farm land so that she can well afford to retain this 
small area for pleasurable and aesthetic purposes. This argument is 
strengthened by the lack of similar localities nearby. The map shows 
that in places the shores are high enougli to furnish good camping or cot- 
tage sites and their beauty can be enhanced by judicious forestation. 
Water sites have an attraction for all "but the most sordid, and this natural 
and laudable craving should be given means of gratification whenever and 
wherever possible. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 

Montgomery county, like other counties in southwestern Iowa, has 
nothing in the way of recreation places. The streams of this county 
contain a considerable quantity of timber. The land along these streams 
is of little agricultural value because subject to frequent overflows. Every 
rain causes the water to go out of the banks of the stream, depositing 
mud and silt over the land. Mr. Gordon Hayes states that this land, for 
agricultural purposes, is not worth more than $25.00 or $30.00 psr acre. 
There are fine bur oak, walnut, American elms and oottonwoods on these 
bottom lands. Perhaps there are few areas in Iowa where black walnut 
will grow better than in the bottoms of the Nishnabotna. The state might 
well buy a small area for experimental purposes. The black walnut tim- 
ber is sure to be of great value in the future for the construction of 
aeroplanes. The profitable holding of such lands to grow walnut for com- 
mercial purposes cannot be done by the private individual and is a mat- 
ter for the state and nation to undertake. Such areas have great scientific 
value, but its use for recreational purposes is unsuited, owing to the 
deposit of silt and mud. There are, however, areas in this and other coun- 
ties where woods occur along the highways which are well suited for park 
purposes. Such occur along the proposed military road that goes through 
Red Oak and Glenwood. The state might acquire small tracts of wooded 



158 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

areas, 50 acres along the smaller streams in the hills, which would give 
persons who now use the highway, opportunity to spend a few restful 
hours in the shade of these trees. In many cases persons are warned not 
to ti-espass or picnic on those grounds. Where can the boy or girl go to 
have a good time in the country? There is a tract of land south of Red 
Oak in the Nyman region of about 160 acres accessible to the people of 
Shenandoah, Red Oak and Clarinda, which, according to Dr. Morris and 
Mr. Hayes, would make an ideal place for a state park, because easily 
accessible to the people of these places. This was not viewed by us. A 
man's or woman's reminiscence ever goes back to the days of childhood. 
These are among our priceless memories. 

It seems to me that for regions like Montgomery county and regions 
like it in southwestern Iowa, the proper thing to do is to acquire smaller 
areas along highways. That we should have a number of such parks 
well distributed in southwestern Iowa in addition to the larger area in 
Fremont and Mills countiest 



DES MOINES RIVER BLUFFS NEAR LEIGHTON. 
By Lacey F. Rickey. 

Prof. Pammel asked me a few days ago to contribute an article en the 
Des Moines river bluffs near the old town of Bellefointaine. I expected 
at the time to be able to get a little more information concerning this 
beauty spot, but for lack of time, I will have to write simiply a short 
sketch from the knowledge of these bluffs that I now possess. 

These bluffs rise to a height of proba'bly two hundred feet, having in 
places a sheer drop of one hundred feet or more. It is by far the most 
picturesque spot in this section of the state. The slopes are covered with 
a dense g^rowth of all kinds of native trees while numerous varieties of 
wild fiowers grow in their shade. In the autumn, when nature changes 
the somber green foliag'e of the trees to a riot of reds and yellows, it is 
truly an enchanting place, and presents a picture which is not soon for- 
gotten. 

There is a small cave here, which so far as I can find, has never been 
thoroughly investigated. It is supposed, by those living in the neighbor- 
hood to be the haunt of various kinds of animals. Rattlesnakes are fre- 
quently found among the rocks, and probably other fauna, practically ex- 
tinct over the greater part of Iowa, still make their home here. 

The boyhood home of the late Major JO'hn F. Lacey adjoined the bluffs, 
and it was from this home that he went to take part in the great Civil 
War. Probably a great part of Ms never-tiring love of nature and of the 
birds especially, sprung from his association with them here at the bluffs. 

In the early days the bluffs were a meeting place for the surrounding 
country for miles and miles. Political meetings, revivals, and celebra- 
tions of various kind were held here. As the towns grew, the meeting 
places naturally went to them, and the bluffs were again left in charge of 
Mother Nature. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 159 

At one time the course of the river passed at the foot of the cliffs, but a 
flood, in the early '50's I believe, caused a cut off, leaving the bluffs fully- 
half a mile from the new course. The river has been rapidly eating its 
way back, and a few more high waters will bring it back to the old course 
at the lower end of the bluffs. 

The place is well known locally simply as "The Bluffs." It is situated 
on the south side of the Des Moines river, between Knoxville and Oska- 
loosa. The Tracey-Oskaloosa branch of the C. B. «&; Q. railroad crossed the 
river a short way from the bluffs; Tracey being the nearest regular station. 

The bluffs lie about three miles below the early day town of Bellefon- 
taine, which if I have my history straight, lacked only one vote of being 
the first capital of Iowa. The town is now merely a memory. About a 
mile below the bluffs but on the other side of the river, was another 
pioneer town called Rochester. These towns witnessed the early naviga- 
tion of the Deis Moines, and later saw the growth of the cities more fiavor- 
a;bly located on the railroads, giving way to them in the development of 
the country. 

These bluffs are locally known as a beautiful place where nature has 
been left to have her way. They are well located and should be investi- 
gated as a park site on the proposed road along the Des Moines river. 



DES MOINES RIVER BLUFFS STATE PARK. 
By Mrs. Carol Sawyer. 

There is a 300 acre farm owned by Robert W. Campbell, on the Des 
Moines river, about 13 miles from Oskaloosa, Mahaska county. The 
"Bluffs," as the place is commonly known, comprises about one-half of this 
farm. Their highest point is about 300 feet above the river. 
There is a fine timber, moist of it virgin timber, white oak, elm, red oak, 
hickory, butternut and a few old sycamores. There are an abundance of 
wild flowers, moss and ferns of all kinds. Not much underbrush, and 
plenty of blue grass. Cedar Creek curves around the bluffs about a quar- 
ter of a mile from the river, outlining the proposed park. 

It is a splendid location for a game preserve. There are ooons and 
other native animals and some fox dens on the place. The rock is sand- 
stone. The site is located on a good county road between Oskaloosa and 
Bussey, and easy of access to the road. It is about a mile to the bluffs 
proper, with no ravines to cross, and a half mile from the road to the 
limber. 

The old stage road that paralleled the river from Burlington to Des 
Moines is opposite the Bluffs. A little above is Bellefontaine ,one of the 
early settlements, which made claim for the state capitol. Opposite the 
bluffs was Rochester, a stopping place for the stages, and also possessed 
the steamboat landing. Many of the farms along the river were laid 
out before the country was surveyed, and have the same boundary lines 
at present, as the old claims. 



160 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

RED ROCK, MARION COUNTY. 
By W. H. H. Barker. 

I am and have been for years interested in public parks. Nole your 
(Dr. Pammel's) second visit to Marion county, in tlie interest of these 
parks. I have been in Iowa for over three score years. Have been in 
every county of the state save two, and covered a good part of the 
terrain in all these counties. Just above McGregor, Clayton county, bor- 
dering the Mississippi river, is a plot — ideal in my estimation — for one 
ot these parks. Another is located in Marion county on the south side 
of the Des Moines river, some miles below the village of Red Rock at 
a point where a high bluff juts abruptly against this stream. Personally 
I have made nine trips by boat down the stream in the last ten years, 
from Des Moines to Harvey and Otturawa, noting specially its scenery. 
On account of the overflow, so frequent on this stream, no bottom land 
should be considered in any respect. 



THE RED ROCK REGION. 
By E. R. Harlan, Curator Iowa Historical Department. 

Ascending the Des Moines valley through Wapello and Mahaska coun- 
ties there are numerous points of surprising scenic beauty. There are 
many of historical and scientific interest, and for the most part, all have 
a sufficient recreational value to warrant its reservation for the perpetual 
use of the people. 

The Red Rock region in Marion county, however, exceeds all the 
others in its comibined and separate qualities suited for recreation or re- 
sort by every type of mind and purpose. 

In preglacial times a north and south ridge of sandstone had been 
created, so thoroughly impregnated with iron oxide that it is of every 
shade or color from vivid vermilion to soft light salmon and tawny yel- 
low or buff. It is of a thickness of a hundred feet or more. The Des 
Moines river has cut its way through this ridge and employed the ages 
in wearing away its sides forming bluffs and ledges of 60 to 80 feet in 
height. These are swept by the present current at their feet or there 
are stretclies of low bottom lands, some timlbered, spreading out and 
across the valley. The timber lands still afford exquisite primeval 
areas, and some individual specimens of the original trees. One is syca- 
more, being of the immense girth of 27 feet at five feet above the ground. 

Where creeks put into the river, canons are formed running back 
from the river up the streams in varying distances, but carrying the uni- 
form interest to the geologist, botanist and forester, while the aroheolo- 
gist finds upon the ridges created by these lateral streams, without a 
single exception only where the plow has been at work, the prehistoric 
mound builders structures. The red sandstone, and certain coal strata 
underijang, were inducements for the late Jay Gould of New York and 
Jefferson S. Polk of Iowa, to construct the Des Moines branch of the 





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PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 161 

Wabash railroad through this region. The stone in quantities was once 
quarried and marketed, and is the red stone observed in structures 
in central Iowa cities, notably in the old J. S. Polk residence and the 
old Y. M. C. A. building of Des Mioines. 

The undisturbed original soil, partly shaded by trees and rocks, sloping 
respectively to the south and to the north affords an extraordinary exhi- 
Intion of the original plant growth. The writer has observed and 
identified in their season on stream and slough, on the ground and in 
trees, every variety of bird he has seen nesting in Iowa timbered sec- 
tions, while he has observed the nests, dens, tracks, paths and living 
sp'ecimens of a greater variety of game and fur bearing animals than 
in any other equal area. 

- After the Sac and Fox Indians' defeat in the Black Hawk war in 1S32 
and their expulsion across the Mississippi river to that region forty 
miles west of its west bank, they continued their permanent homes in 
the Des Moines or Keosauqua Sepo valley, above Eldon and below Fort 
Dodge. Title to this region was by them relinquished in 1842 on the in- 
sistent demand of the encroaching white home makers, government en- 
gaged to repay them for their lands by granting the Indians other lands 
and certain annuities. Exactly what lands should be their future homes 
remained, at the time of the treaty in 1842, still uncertain. But they 
engaged with the government that they would at once give up the 
eastern part of the great region if they might be left in aboriginal enjoy- 
ment of the western part. The duration of this arrangememt, it was 
agreed, should be until the government found new homes for them 
elsewhere,- 

The Indians proposed as a boundary between the eastern portion 
they gave up and the western part they continued to occupy, a land mark 
known to white and red men alike, namely, "The Red Rock of the 
White Breast." 

In 1843 George Harrison, for the government, met a delegation of the 
Indians and fixed upon a mound on one of the high red stone ledges north 
of the river, ran a meridian north and south from thence through the 
Indian country, and the Indians at once removed 'west of the Red 
Rocks" as agreed. 

This boundary line, then, became the west boundary of the white 
settlement and the east limit of Indian rights of possession. The Des 
Moines river formed the main artery of travel and access, a settlement 
naturally sprang up on its banks and became the old trading town of 
Red Rock. To secure the Indians against encroaching white hunters 
and meddlers, the government established a military post among them 
and Lieutenant Allen and his detachment of the United States First 
Dragoons marched to and erected "Fort Des Moines" at "The Raccoon 
Forks." Here the soldiers remained — not to protect the whites and sup- 
press the Indians, but the exact reverse. When Indian lands in the 
"Kansas country" were decided upon for these Indians, the First Dragoons 
gathered them out of the reaches of the country "west of the Red 
Rock line" and in 1846 marched away bag and baggage with their 
proteges, their cabins and the Indian lands were entered upon by the 
first of our white predecessors. 
11 



162 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The Red Rocks, the town of Red Rock, the abandoned town of Ros- 
seau which in 1849 to 1860 was the river "port" for Knoxville and other 
actual and proposed inland metropoli to the south, the relics of the great 
stone quarry, the cemietery of the old trading post and the deep trails 
and paths among the hills leading out to "Poweshiek's village," now to 
Des Moines and Colfax, all form a region of peculiarly deep and signifi- 
cant historical intereist. 

If visual pleasure and inspiration be matters for the eye alone or for 
that member augmented by the glass, and whether through lines of 
vision measured by inches or by leagues toward every point of the 
compass, and whether in one or others of the seasons of the year or 
hours of the day or night, Iowa affords no region the equal of this circle 
of hills so easily accessible to an equal population, if indeed at all. 

Were I concerned that my name should remain esteemed throughout 
the future and had I my choice of means wherewith to achieve that end, 
I say deliberately (that I would ask that of my public acts the one for 
remembrance is that of autographing the document that would transmit 
this area free from axe and fire to our most distant kin. 



THE YELLOW RIVER VALLEY NORTH OF POSTVILLE. 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Like the Oneota valley. Yellow river valley is a naturalist's paradise. 
From near its sources north of Postville all the way to its mouth at the 
Mississippi, it is bordered by increasingly high rocky bluffs which are 
crowned and covered with a luxuriant mantle of trees. All the lower 
geological formations of Iowa are represented in its walls — the Jordan 
sandstones, the Oneota dolomites, the St. Peter sandstones and the Ga- 
lena-Platteville limestone. The whole valley is a natural park filled 
with interest for the geologist and the botanist and the lover of nature 
in all its forn;s. 

One of the most valualble and interesting parts of the valley, from 
these combined standpoints, is a strip in section three of Post township, 
five miles north and one mile east of Postville. For a stretch of a mile 
the steep bluff shows a high mural escarpment of limestone buttressed 
by a slope of waste material. On this slope and on the upper edge of 
the bluff capping the limestone wall are abundant treeis of the com- 
moner varieties, but the treasure of the region, botanically speaking, is 
the large number of rare balsam firs which are scattered throughout 
the timber, from base to summit of the bluff. In several places erosion 
has entirely cut away the slope of waste material and has exposed 
the bare vertical wall of rock. At one such place a cavity has been hol- 
lowed out of the wall, like the one in which Moses was hidden (!) 
and from the base of another there wells out quietly but perennially a 
great spring whose clear waters keep an open stream throughout the 
year. There are said to be several other springs at the edge of the 
river. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 163 

YELLOW RIVER REGION IN ALLAMAKEE COUNTY. 
BY L. H. PAMMEL, BOTANIST. 

The area about Myron must be considered separately. With Ellison Orr 
and D. O. Wilson, a day was spent early this summer in an investiga- 
tion of this interesting region. The area here considered is on the 
north slope of a hill, with the Yellow river flowing at its base. The Yel- 
low river is a stream of considerable size, having its source from sev- 
eral streams from one-half to three-quarters of a mile above the place 
where the BalSiam fir occurs. Tennperature records taken of the soil 
one inch down at random indicated that the soil was much cooler than 
that of the surrounding woody hills and bluffs. The limestone rock is 
extremely porous and all through it are caverns of various sizes. From 
these caverns during the summer cold air is constantly issuing. At one 
point where the rock was covered with mosses, consisting of Hypnum 
tamariscinum and Anomodon minor, the temperature was 46 degrees F. 
The highest temperature found in open places was 63 degrees, at a 
depth of one inch. At other points the temperature varied from 56 de- 
grees to 60 degrees, showing that one of the most important factors in 
connection with the boreal plants developed here is the temperature. 
The temperature of the air wa,s 75 degrees. 

The stretch of Balsam fir woods exitends from about one-half to three- 
quarters of a mile on the north slope of a hill. The Balsam fir, the White 
pine, Pyrus arbutifolia, Corylus rostrata, Diervilla trifida, Betula papyri- 
fera, Lonicera glauca, Aralia quinquefolia, A. racemosa, Bromus pur- 
gans, Poa memoralis, Campanula Taxus cnadensis, Sambucus racemosa. 
Phegoteris calcarea, Acer spicatum, Aconitum uncinatum, Viola blanda, 
Saxifraga pennsylvanica and Arabis lyrata were distributed through- 
out the region. The Poa nemoralis, Arabis lyrata and Campanula ameri- 
cans occurred upon the limestone rocks with little soil. They occurred 
with numerous species of lichens, of which the fallowing are prominent: 
Buellia albo-atra, Lecanora privigna, L. calcarea var. contorta and L. 
muralis var. versicolor. The Polpydium vulgare, Circaea alpina and 
Cypripedium pubescens were more or less local. Most of the lime- 
stone rock has become covered with vegetation. It is only in the drier 
places that the Arabis lyrata thrives. The Saxifraga pennsylvanica, Viola 
blanda and Bromus kalmii occur in the moister places. 



THE BACKBONE, MADISON COUNTY. 

By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

The Backbone, on Middle river in Madison county, is a charming 
bit of scenery cut out of the one time level plain of south central Iowa. 
It represents the erosive activity of the stream, working through many 
centuries and swinging in ever widening curves. It is located in sections 
15 and 16 of Lincoln township, four or five miles southwest of Winter- 
set, from which town it is readily accessible and where it is justly 



164 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

popular. Its steep rocky timber covered sides and the long smooth slope 
at its end, where it sinks down to the valley, afford both restful, pleasant 
spots for picnics and excellent vantage points for those who find delight 
and inspiration in the views over hill and valley. 

As one goes up the river from south of Winterset he cannot fail to bo 
impressed with the width of the valley as compared with the size of the 
stream which occupies it. To be sure the valley is not so large a? 
it is farther down stream, in Warren county, where it is fully a mile 
acTos'S its floor. Still its width here, is one-third to one-half mile and 
much more than that from river to river. The sides here are steeper 
also and show the presence of rock through most of their height. Farther 
upstream, however, nearer the Backbone, the valley is narrower and the 
south wall, at least, is quite steep. Within the loop made by the south- 
ward bend of the river is a broad high terrace, which slopes down to 
the river on the south. 

The Backbone itself, a tongue of land nearly a mile long jutting into 
the northward loop of the river just to the west of this terrace, is, as 
its name implies, a high ridge bounded on both east and west sides by 
exceedingly precipitous walls. Near its middle the ridge is so narrow 
that there is actually only just room for the wagon trail which extends 
along its summit. From this trail one may see the river meandering 
across its valley on either hand; on one side flowing in one 
direction, on the other side in the opposite direction. At its 
northern end the Backbone broadens out and slopes gently down 
to the river. At the south end, it rises to the height of 140 feet above 
the river and here likewise it is broader and the side slopes are less 
precipitous. The entire ridge is rock built with only a thin veneer of 
soil and forest mould through which in many places the rock protrudes. 

The nose of the ridge is at present almost bare of tim'ber, except for 
a rare, cedar or some deciduous tree which has been spared. The higher 
parts of the Backbone are still quite (heavily timbered with oaks and 
elmis and ^hickories, and an occasional white pine or cedar. Just at 
the crest of the ridge is a fine group of pine with one or two cedars and 
a few birch trees, their white bark gleaming in fine contrast thorugih 
the green of the evergreens. On the west side the timber is being cut 
off and if this stripping process is continued it will not be long before 
this steep slope is bare and subject to active erosion. 

At the part of the ridge where it is narrowest some enterprising soul 
years ago tunneled through the soft black shales which underlie the 
heavy upper limestone ledges and so carried the water from the river on 
the upstream side of the ridge to the downstream side, thus giving a 
head of about 12 feet to drive the Wheels of his mill. Today the mill 
is in ruins, only a few fragments of the stone foundation walls are stand- 
ing, and the tunnel serves as a short cut for cattle and as a storage 
room for farm implements. It is perhaps two hundred feet long and eight 
to ten feet higth. The shales have fallen down along the walls until 
these are now 20 to 30 feet apart leaving a flat rock roof spanning the 
opening between. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 165 

On the wide outer curve of the valley the walls are steep and hig'h. 
In places they are timbered fi-om base to summit, but elsewhere they 
are too rocky to support a forest cover. In some places the rock ledges 
form straight horizontal lines acroiss the face of the bluff, while in other 
places the entire slopfe is strewn with rock fragments, the wastage from 
the solid strata beneath. 

The Backbone reveals a most interesting fragment of the' geological 
history of the region, a fragment which is writ large and clear for him 
who would interpret its meaning. The rock strata belong to the Mis- 
souri stage of the geological column, sometimes called the Upper Coal 
Measures. The limestones over which the river is flowing and also 
those which make up the upper part of the ridge tell of quiet clear 
oceanic conditions, when myriads of humble types of life peopled the 
waters and the ocean floor. These rocks are built very largely of the 
sihells and other hard remains of these animals of a far distant day. 
Between the two ledges of limestone is a layer of dark gray to black 
shale. This tells of a relatively brief period when the waters were more 
turbid and mud and silt were being carried in from nearby shores and 
rivers. It is through these shales that the tunnel was dug to supply 
water to the Tunnel Mill. Following the retreat of the ocean from the 
region there is a long gap in the history, a gap which extends to the 
Pleistocene period, the time of the advance of the great glaciers. Either 
in the period just preceding the Pleistocene or else in the interval be- 
tween the first two ice advances, the Nebraskan and the Kansan, Middle 
river cut its valley in the plain. The valley was filled by detritus from 
the glacier and the river has been steadily engaged in clearing this out. 
The great size now attained shows how successful it has been. When the 
stream was flowing up on the level of the plain, nearly 200 feet above 
its present position, it began meandering and as it sank into the loose 
surface material and then into the rock its meanders became fixed and 
continued to increase by the cutting of the stream into the outer walls. 
In this way were formed the steep outer walls of the valley facing the 
Backbone, while on the inner curves were being cut the long gentle slopes 
at the end of the Backbone and the face of the terrace within the wide 
bend to the east of the Backbone. 

The whole assemblage of phenomena gathered here, the long high 
narrow ridge, the steep walls of the valley, the rock strata with their 
contained fossils, the peaceful river with its flat flood plain, the variety 
and abundance of the plant and bird life, with their rare and unusual 
varieties, all of these make a grouping which renders the region of the 
Backbone of great value scientifically and scenically as well as from the 
standpoint of pure pleasure. The region is certainly well worthy of 
being set aside for a state park, and such action should be taken soon. 
Enough should be included in the reservation to insure the perpetuation 
of the beauty and safety of both sides of the river valley as well as of the 
Backbone itself. 



166 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

BOTANY OF THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE AREA IN MADISON COUNTY. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

The plants of the Devil's Backbone area are of special interest. The 
area is a wooded tract with the valley of the Loup river cutting through 
the area in a tortuous manner. Here and there are outcrops of limestone 
■wiih narrow ridges, and xei-ophytic plants like the red cedar, blazing 
star and golden rods (Solidago nemoralis). The shady slopes where more 
soil has been accumulated, have a denser vegetation and better tree 
growth. On tne Devil's Backbone I noticed prairie like openings shading 
off int^ the woods on the slopes. 

Among the more common plants observed in the unique prairies, I 
may mention blue joint (Andropogon scoparius)), blazing star (Liatris 
py';nf f.tiichya), golden rod (Solidago rigida, S. nemoralis), asters (Aster 
laevis, A. multiflonis), coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata), side oats (Boute- 
loua curtipendula), Canadian blue grass (Poa compressa), blue grass 
(Poa pratensis), partridge pea (Cassia chamaecrista), wild bean (Stro- 
phostyles helvola), bush clover (Lespedeza violacea), Psoralea (Psoralea 
lanceolata) , lead plant (Amorpha canescens), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus 
ovatus), skull cap (Scutellaria parvula var ambigua), horse mint (Monar- 
da fistulosa), mock and pennyroyal (Hedeoma hispida), American penny- 
royal (Hedeoma pulegioides), is common in the woods adjacent to the 
prairie openings. Prairie clover (Petalostemum violaceum and P. candi- 
dum), milk vetch (Astragalus canadense), tick trefoil (Desmodium cana- 
dense), kuhnia (Kuhnia eupatorioides), boneset (Empatorium altissimum), 
were also present. I noted the following trees: White oak (Quercus 
alba), red oak (Q. rubra), quercitron oak (Q. velutina), bur oak (Q. 
macrocarpa), chestnut oak (Q. acuminata), dwai-f ches'nut oak (Q. 
prinoides), white ash (Fraxinus americana) ; in the lowlands (F. lanceo- 
lata). Of the elms, the slippery elm (Ulmus fulva), American elm (U. 
americana) ; the cork or rock elm (U. racemosa) on the rocky ridges 
a small tree wholly unlike in form from the rock elm as one sees it 
further north on the sandy bottom lands; red cedar (Juniperus vir- 
giniana), on limestone out crops; basswood (Tilia americana), sycamore 
(Platanus occidentalis) on the bottoms; black walnut (Juglans nigra) on 
bottoms and slopes, hickory (Carya ovata and C. cordiformis), soft maple 
(Acer saccharinum), black maple (A. nigrum), box elder (A. negundo), 
black cherry (Prunus serotina), choke cherry (P. virginiana), wild 
plum (P. americana), wild crab (Pyrus lowensis), hack berry (Celtis 
occidentalis), almond leaved willow (Salix amygdaloides), black willow 
(A. nigra), and sand bar willow (S. fluviatilis). 

The more interesting shrubs observed were nine bark (Physocarpos 
opulifolius), a typical northern plant, buck thorn (Rhamnus lanceolata), 
black cap raspberry (Rubus occidentalis), sumach (Rhus glabra), poison 
ivy (R. toxicodendron). New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americana), dog- 
wood (Cornus asperifolia), prickly ash (Xanthoxylum americanum), wild 
grape (Vitus vulpina). Virginia creeper (Psedera quinquifolia). bitter 
sweet (Celastrus scandens), wahoo (Evonymus atropurpureus), hazel 
nut (Corylus americana), moonseed (Menisperum canadense), buck 
bush (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus). 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 167 

Of the herbaceous plants I noted the following: Golden rod (Soiidago 
serotina, S. ulmifolia, S. latifolia), sunflowers (Helianthus strumosus), in 
woods; (H. grosserratus), along roadsides; artichoke (Helianthus tuber- 
osus), bell flower (Campanula americana), white snakeroot (Eupatorium 
urticaefolium), iron weed (Vernonia Baldwinii), aster (Aster novae 
angliae, A. sagittifolius), everlasting (Antennaria plantaginifolia), cone 
flowers (Rudbeckia laciniata, R. triloba, R. hirta Lepachys pinnata), tall 
coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), Iowa thistle (Cirsium lowense), wood 
thistle (Cirsium discolor), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), in prairie 
openings, greater lobelia (Lobelia syphilitica), bell flower (Campanula 
americana), Spanish needle (Bidens aristosa) ; on low ground, jewel 
weed (Impatiens pallida), sweet william (Phlox divaricata), prairie open- 
ings, sweet William (Phlox pilosa). In deep shaded woods, Indian turnip 
(Arisaema triphyllum), in woods, tick trefoil (Desmodium nudiflorum). 
Many other plants occur, but the writer has only noted those he has 
observed in a single day. 

The region has a typical prairie and woodland flora. It may be of 
interest to note that Judge Williams, once a member of the probate 
courts, actively engaged in the nursery business planted a lot of trees 
over the Devil's Backbone area. One not knowing the circumstances 
might regard the white pine and paper birch as native. A considerable 
number of white pine were planted promiscuously in the area. Some 
of these trees are now 8 to 10 inches in diameter. He also planted some 
red cedar, paper birch, Douglas fir and white spruce. These latter ti^ees, 
at once, give a clue to their having been planted. The white pine were 
planted in places where one not knowing the circumstances might re- 
gard the trees as native, as some people have supposed. The soil here 
is limy with a little mixture of sand on the surface. The nearest native 
white pine is in Hardin county on the Carboniferous sandstone. 



CERRO GORDO, WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES. 

By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

These regions can be discussed together since most of the drainage 
system is towards the Cedar river and Lime creek, which heads in 
north Minnesota flows through Winnebago county and noi'theast Hancock 
county, then into Worth county and Cerro Gordo county. This region 
has not only a number of most unique lakes, but a number of extinct lakes 
within the memory of man which now have become peat bogs. Through 
these peat bogs we now find wooded areas which formerly were islands 
and this reminds one of the lake region of north Minnesota with its 
numerous lakes and islands. The bogs contain an interesting lot of 
plants. Rice lake is the most important one of these which should be- 
come a state park. 



168 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

DRAINAGE OF CERRO GORDO COUNTY. 
By Samuel Calvin. 

With respect to drainage, as in the case of topography, Cerro Gordo 
county is divisible into two areas. The portion of the county occupied 
by lowan drift has relatively perfect drainage, and the stream channels 
are fairly well defined. With the exception of that part of the channel 
of Lime creek which passes through the northwest corner of Grant town- 
ship, it can scarcely be said that there is a well defined water course 
in the area of the Altamont moraine. 

Lime Creek. Lime creek drains the larger part of Cerro Goro county. 
It enters the county from the southwest, and in the first part of its 
course it traverses the morainic belt already described. Entering Grant 
township in section 19, the stream fiows northeast and passes into Worth 
county. Soon after entering Worth its direction is changed toward the 
east, and after flowing eastward for a few miles it escapes from the 
moraine and enters upon the area of lowan drift. Here its course be- 
comes normal for streams in this part of Iowa. It flows southeast, and 
soon re-enters Cerro Gordo county, crossing the north line of section 5 
of Lincoln township. From this point its course is in the main southeast 
until it leaves the county at the east line of section 36 of Portland town- 
ship. 

Within the morainic belt, in Grant township, the course of Lime creek 
is very tortuous, since of necessity it winds back and forth to avoid the 
lawlessly disposed knobs and hills of drift. In this region the channel 
is new, dating only from the retreat of the Wisconsin ice. It is now a 
mere shallow trough in loose glacial detritus, showing only an incon- 
siderable amount of erosion since the stream began work upon it. There 
is here properly no river valley, nor are there any tributary streams with 
deflnitely marked channels. The drainage waters from adjacent lands 
flnd their way into Lime creek, sometimes by very roundabout courses, 
along broad, flat-bottomed swales, or through reedy, ill-drained marshes. 
In the lowan drift area, however. Lime creek follows a preglacial valley 
that was originally in places two or three miles in width. In depth the 
valley varies from twenty to seventy feet. Its history is well recorded 
in the western part of Lime Creek township. Here the present stream 
flows in a small, shallow and narrow channel near the southern margin of 
the valley. The south bank of the stream rises abruptly to a height 
of thirty or forty feet. On the north side a plain with gentle slope be- 
gins near the level of the water and extends back to a terrace that is 
eight or ten feet in height. At the summit of the terrace there begins 
another plain that may be two miles or more in width, and is terminated 
on the north by an irregular line of low hills. The history seems to 
have been as follows: The preglacial valley had a width reaching 
from the south bank of the present stream to the line of hills which form 
the northern border of the' second plain noted above. The sub-Aftonian 
drift, if it was ever deposited in this region, cannot be differentiated 
from the Kansan, but it is certain that at the close of the Kansan stage 
the old valley was only pai'tially filled with detritys, and an important 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 169 

drainage stream of the subsequent interglacial stage followed the old 
depression and in part re-excavated the valley. At the beginning of the 
lowan stage the re-excavation was far from complete, its amount being 
represented by the space between the south wall of the valley and the 
first terrace north of the present stream. The lowan glaciers deposited 
only a very thin sheet of drift over this region, but they carried numerous 
boulders that are scattered over the whole surface of highlands and lower 
plains. The plain between the terrace and the channel, and rising only 
a few feet above the level of the water, is thickly strewn with large 
lowan boulders that have not been disturbed since they were deposited 
at the level on which they now lie. The present channel is a shallow trough 
cut in the lowan drift of this lower plain, and represents the inconsider- 
able amount of erosion since the withdrawal of the lowan ice. 

The same history is recorded throughout the whole course of the 
stream in the lowan drift area, except that during the interglacial stage, 
between the Kansan and lowan glacial periods, the stream, for a few 
miles, was turned aside from the ancient valley and expended its energies 
in cutting the abandoned, rock-walled channel, already noted, that tra 
verses sections 34 and 35 Lime Creek township, and a part of section 2 of 
Mason City. The evidence of the interglacial age of this abandoned chan- 
nel has been given in connection with the discussion of the topography 
of the region. 

It seems probable that during the preglacial and interglacial times the 
valley of Lime creek accomodated one of the most important streams of 
northeastern Iowa. After the close of the lowan stage the Shell Rock 
i-iver probably took part of the drainage waters that had previously found 
their way through various tributaries Into the predecessor of Lime creek. 
At all events there was no pre-Iowan Shell Rock, for this stream follows 
no valley, and has cut only a shallow trough in the surface of the lowan 
drift. Furthermore, the Wisconsin drift, particularly the Altamont 
moraine, choked up that portion of Lime creek valley which doubtless 
was produced northwestward from the point at which it crosses the north- 
ern boundary of Cerro Gordo county. As a consequence, the surface 
waters have been partly turned into new courses, while those that still 
find their way from the Wisconsin drift area into the old valley are 
obliged to wander tortuously among morainic knobs, and over areas in 
which drainage channels are altogether undeveloped. As a result of 
these changes the relative importance of the stream following this old 
valley has been greatly diminished. 



The Altamont moraine, occupying the western townships of Cerro 
Gordo county, is an area that is practically undrained. Lime creek, 
as already stated, flows throughout the northwest corner of Grant town- 
ship, but it occupies the only definitely marked stream ciiannel in the 
morainic belt north of Clear Lake. In this region Lime creek has no 
tributaries except so far as the debouching sloughs and marshes afford 
opportunity for drainage of the adjacent areas. For many miles south 
of Clear lake there are no drainage channels, except broad swales that 



170 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

wind in and out among the hills of drift. Indeed, the first definitely 
marked water course in this direction is found near Thornton in the 
eastern part of Grimes township. 



The area of the Altamont moraine is one of unique topography. 
Geographically it corresponds very nearly with the western tier of town- 
ships so far as it is included in Cerro Gordo county. In the southwest it 
extends a short distance east of the limit of these, and occupies a few 
square miles in the western edge of Mount Vernon and Pleasant Valley 
townships. The surface of the area is quite irregular and presents a 
series of knob-like hills and undrained marshes arranged in the most 
lawless manner. Erosion has played a very unimportant part in pro- 
ducing the present surface configuration of this morainic belt. 

One of the most broken and hilly portions of the moraine in Cerro 
Gordo county occurs in the northwest corner of Grant township. The 
hills are simply knobs of drift that were irregularly heaped up along the 
margin of the Wisconsin ice. Their height above the toi'tuous, marshy 
valleys that wind in and out and branch and rebranch without definable 
system, so as practically to surround each individual knob, varies from 
forty to seventy or eighty feet. The slopes are often steep. The traveler 
following the wagon roads must be content to make slow progress and 
must often make long detours to avoid impassable marshes or impractica- 
ble hills. 



The topography of the greater part of Cerro Gordo county might be 
regarded by some observers as somewhat characterless and monotonous. 
Leaving out the western tier of townships the remaining portion of the 
county is a gently undulating drift plain, almost level over large areas. 
Stream valleys that have cut to but a very limited extent below the gen- 
eral level, and a few knobs or ridges that rise to a height of twenty to 
thirty feet above the otherwise unbroken plain, give some diversity to a 
landscape in general devoid of salient topographical features. The drift 
covering the county is in some places very thin; erosion since the deposi- 
tion of the drift has been insignificant in amount, and hence the most 
conspicuous hills and valleys of eastern Cerro Gordo are in reality rem- 
nants of preglacial topography. 

All the eastern part of the county is occupied by lowan drift; the 
western tier of townsliips is almost wholly occupied by the knobs, ridges 
and kettle holes that characterize the marginal moraine of the Wisconsin 
drift, the Altamont moraine of Chamberlin. A small area in the south- 
west corner of Grimes township presents some of the characteristics of 
plains of Wisconsin drift, but this last area is so small as to make it com- 
pairatively unimportant. The county is, therefore, topographically divisi- 
ble into two principal areas, the area of the lowan drift and the area 
of the Altamont moraine. — Iowa Geological Survey, Vol. VII, pp 136-9, 142 
and 132-3. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 171 

FLORA OF THE BOGS OF CERRO GORDO AND WORTH COUNTIES. 

By L. H. Pammel. 

i 

These bogs are interesting from a phytogeographical standpoint. We 
have here representatives of a flora common in Minnesota to the north 
and the bogs of western Wisconsin. Many species have, however, dis- 
appeared in their immigration southward and northward. The conditions 
favorable for the development of these glacial plants have gradually 
disappeared, owing to the absence of proper soil and temperature condi- 
tions. The long and hot summers greatly increased the heat of the soil 
and water in which these plants thrive, hence their extermination. A 
few illustrations will suffice. The Cirsium muticum, though common in 
these bogs, occurs more commonly in Wisconsin marshes that are fairly 
dry during the latter part of the season. The same may be said of par- 
nassus, (Parniassia caroliniana), dragon's head (Chelone glabra), mead- 
dow rue (Thalictrum purpurascens) and Lousewort (Pedicularis lanceo- 
lata). The Bog willow (Salix Candida), kaln'es lobelia (Lobelia kalmii) and 
cowbane (Cicuta bulbifera) are equally common in the bogs of western 
Wisconsin and Worth county. The beaked willow (Salix richardsonii) and 
pussy willow (S. discolor) are found throughout the Wisconsin drift area. 
The holy grass (Hierochloe borealis) hardly reaches the southern end of 
the Wisconsin drift as it only reaches as far south as Marshall and Ham- 
ilton counties. This grass, however, can hardly be classed as a real bog 
species as it is usually found on moist drift soils further northwaixl. 
A hasty survey certainly shows that the Wisconsin drift has influenced 
in a marked manner the flora of northern central Iowa. 

A brief list of the plants shows that the sphagnum which constitutes the 
bulk of the vegetation in the bogs of Wisconsin is entirely lacking in 
Worth and Cerro Gordo counties, and in place we find Hypnums. The 
bogs, however, contain a number of most interesting northern plant.s, 
among them Spanish needle (Bidens beckii), marsh thistle (Cirsium muti- 
cum), fringed gentian (Gentiana crinita), gentian (G. quinquelflora, G. 
andrewsii), parnassas (Parnassia caroliniana), cowbane (Cicuta bulbi- 
fera), brome grass (Bromus kalmii), meadow rue (Thalictrum pur- 
purascenes), pussy willow (Salix discolor, S. richardsonii), bog wil- 
low (S. Candida). The Salix richardsonii and quaking aspen (Populus 
tremuloides), are quite conspicuous shrubs. Owing to the deposit of soil 
through cultivation these bogs are beginning to "dry up," as the common 
expression is. Scattered throughout the bogs are small groups of Populus 
tremuloides which in course of time will give rise to a mesophytic 
forest. In fact, the course of the formation of the forest here is very 
different than in northern Minnesota. The reason for this is no doubt 
the lack of forest-forming species in the immediate vicinity, the tamarack 
and spruce both being absent and no seed anywhere in the vicinity. 



IOWA LAKES AND LAKE 
AREAS 



Iowa Lakes- 



AsHBAUGii, Lewis E. 
Francis^ Leslie E. 
HiNSHAW, E. C. 
Macbride, Thomas F 
Pammel, L. H. 



IOWA LAKES AND LAKE AREAS. 



SPIRIT LAKE AND THE OKOBOJIS. 

By Leslie E. Francis, State Senator. 

No person can appreciate the beauty of Spirit lake and the Okohoji lakes 
who has not seen them in summer; who has not stood upon their banks 
and watched the endless and never-ceasing movement of the launches, 
steamers and sailboats; who has not "picnicked" upon their banks 
or bathed in their waters. 

No person, even though he has seen these Iowa lakes in the golden 
summertime, can appreciate their beauty unless he has also gazed upon 
them in the fall; has seen the, golden hues of the leaves as autumn has 
brought its changing and varied colors, and who has not in the early 
morning seen the mist arising from the lakes and has watched it change 
into its many varied and fantastic forms; who has not watched the 
waves in the colder days of approaching winter, as they dash upon the 
shore, coating stone and stump and projecting limb and dock with ice, 
freezing in strange and grotesque shapes; who has not seen the trees 
along the lakes white and glistening in the frost of approaching winter. 

No person, even though he has witnessed the lakes in summer and in 
the fall, knows the real beauty of the lakes until he has seen them in 
the wintertime and has watched the ice form as the cold November days 
seize the waters of the lake in their icy grip; has watched the skaters as 
they glide to and fro over the glistening ice; or the iceboats as they 
move with a speed equal to the fastest automobile; or the snow as it 
falls in the stillness of a quiet night upon every tree and shrub growing 
upon the banks of stream and lake, to greet the visitor's gaze in the 
dazzling sunlight of a bright and beautiful winter's morning. 

No one can thoroughly appreciate the beauty of the lakes until he has 
witnessed the change wrought in the days of fall and by the icy hand of 
winter. 

No person, even though he has seen the lakes in all their summer 
glory, in the grandeur of fall and in the magnificence of winter, can fully 
know them until he has seen them in the days of spring, has watched 
the small but innumerable streams carry their burden of water gurgling 
and splashing between banks of green, among stones and along the roots 
of beautiful trees to replenish the waters of the lake; who has not seen 
the ice as the returning warmth of spring has robbed it of its sternness, 
one day glistening in pure whiteness and the next, without apparent 
reason, as blue as the waters of the ocean; and then has watched the ice 
go out and seen it by some strong wind crushed upon the lake shore, 
pushing sand and rocks and even trees before its irresistible movement 
Then, in the springtime, comes the return of wild fowl, of ducks and 
geese with their calls; birds in the trees seeking their mates and a suit- 



176 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

able nesting place. Then the buds break out upon the trees and the 
leaves come and the beauty of spring is here. 

Even though the traveler has viewed the lake region in all the four 
seasons, he has yet missed its greatest beauty if he has not stood some 
day upon the banks of one of these lakes and witnessed the gathering of 
a storm; has seen the clouds gather and roll in forbidding streams down 
upon the waters of the lake; has seen a gust of wind seize the still 
waters and dash them into waves of fury; has watched the boatman seek 
protection behind some projecting point; has witnessed the coloring 
of sky and water as the storm approached; has stood in the windows of 
his cottage and watched the storm break in its fury upon the lake, and 
then a little later, from his porch has watched the storm pass on and the 
quiet and calm of evening come over the lake that follows such an out- 
break of nature; has witnessed the sun come from behind the clouds, 
causing every raindrop still clinging to leaf and branch and every wave 
still dashing upon the shore, to glisten and shine back the beauty of the 
western sunlight. 

Until the visitor has seen the lake region "in all of the different seasons 
of the year and in all its varying moods, he cannot know of its beauty; 
but here in Iowa within reach of its every citizen, here at home, we have 
the most beautiful lakes to be found in all America, the most splendid 
scenery within a thousand miles, a playground, if you please, for all 
Iowa, for the men and women and the children who will be made better 
citizens and have greater pleasure in life if they may be permitted to 
enjoy these manifestations of God's bounteous gifts to us, His chidlren. 

The first white man to set foot in the lake region of northwestern 
Iowa was doubtless Father Hennepin, who, with his two companions, was 
brought to Spirit Lake and there held as a prisoner of the Indians, 
almost two and a half centuries ago. 

At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803, it is known 
that a white man visited the lake region, as reference is made to the 
greater Iowa lakes in the report of that expedition. 

The third white man to stand upon the shores of these lakes was John 
C. Fremont, who in 1838 camped on the northern shores of Spirit lake 
where Crandall's Lodge is now located. 

The first actual settlers came in 1856, consisting of forty or more men, 
women and children, anions them Abbie Gardner Sharp, survivor of the 
massacre of 1857 and historian of those terrible events. 

The Spirit lake massacre occurred in the early days of March, 1857, 
resulting in the death of about forty men, women and children and the 
complete destruction of the settlement around the lakes. Four women 
were made captives, two of them being killed in captivity and the other 
two, after months of privation, being ransomed and restored to civiliza- 
tion. The only monument of this earliest settlement remaining unde- 
stroyed is the Gardner cabin at Pillsbury Point on West Okoboji lake im- 
mediately adjacent to the beautiful monument erected by the state in 
1894 in commemoration of the massacre of 1857. 

Dickinson county is the smallest county in the state of Iowa, yet it 
has within its limits the most magnificent system of lakes between the 
Allegheny and the Rocky mountains, and also has the distinction of hav- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 177 

iiig upon the 'banks of West Okoboji lake the highest point between those 
two mountain systems. 

Spirit lake begins on the Minnesota line, and north of it and in the 
state of Minnesota, are six or eight small lakes, all tributary to Spirit 
lake and connected therewith, many of them very beautiful. Spirit lake 
itself is a body of water four miles in length north and south and approxi- 
mately four miles in width east and west at the widest point. Gazing 
upon the lake from the banks, it appears to be nearly circular. On the 
west there are six or eight small lakes, all having their outlets into Spirit 
lake. The town of Spirit Lake is located on the west bank of East Okoboji 
lake, which lake begins at a point forty rods south of the south shore of 
Spirit lake and extends in a southerly direction to a point where the 
public highway from the south crosses the lake at Okoboji, a distance 
of about eight miles. East Okoboji lake varies in width from ten rod.s 
at a place called the Narrows, to two miles. It connects with West Oko- 
boji lake at Okoboji where the public highway above referred to crosses, 
so that the two lakes are in fact one body of water, steamers and all lake 
craft having access to both lakes. West Okoboji lake is six miles in 
length and varies in width from one to three miles, with high banks and 
very deep blue water. Southeast of these lakes and immediately east of 
the town of Arnold's Park, which is situated upon the east bank of West 
Okoboji lake, is a series of lakes formerly known as Gar lakes. Some 
years since, the state constructed a canal from East Okoboji lake into 
and through a part of this lake system, thus making these beautiful lakes 
accessible to small crarft from the larger lakes. The outlet from the 
entire lake system extends through these lakes. Spirit lake draining into 
East Okoboji lake. West Okoboji lake also draining into East Okoboji 
lake, and thence on through the Gar lakes into the Little Sioux river, 
and ultimately into' the Missouri river. 

In various places in Dickinson county there are other lakes — Center 
lake between East and West Okoboji lakes. Swan lake in the eastern part 
of the county, Diamond lake just west of Spirit lake, and Silver lake, a 
considerable body of water near Lake Park in the western part of the 
county. 

The lake system of Dickinson county has at least one hundred miles 
of lake shore, a large amount of which has shelving sandy beaches, 
affording splendid bathing privileges. The banks of nearly the entire lake 
system are fringed with timber, consisting of oak, ash, hickory and 
various other trees indigenous to the region. When the early settlers 
came into this territory, the groves around the lakes consisted of very 
large trees, mostly white oak, often three feet in diameter. As is often 
the case, however, in a new country, little attention was given to the 
preservation of these magnificent trees, and, except as they were here 
and there preservd around farm buildings, they are cut down and sawed 
up for lumber, used in building the early homes in the county. The beau- 
tiful forests now fringing the lakes, therefore, are a second growth, con- 
sisting of the smaller tree here at the arrival of the first settler now 
developed into substantial trees, but in no manner comparing with the 
grand old oaks of the original forest. 



178 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The first railroad of tlie lake region was in operation in 1881, being 
followed a little later by a second railroad, so that the lake region now 
has two lines of railroad, the Rock Island from Chicago, Cedar Rapids, 
Minneapolis, Sioux Falls and Watertown, and the Milwaukee from Des 
Moines direct, with various connections east and west. 

The first steamer, the Favorite, was a boat about twenty-two feet long 
and ten feet wide, occupied mostly by its engine and capable of a speed 
enabling it to keep out of the way of a rowboat if its engine was working 
well. The lakes now have at least a dozen large passenger boats, the 
largest carrying not less than six hundred passengers; also innumerable 
launches, public and private. 

Hotels have been constructed at various points around the lakes so 
that there are abundant facilities for the care of tourists. At Arnold's 
Park has been installed during the past few years all of the modern 
attractions found at Coney Island and places of that character. 

Nearly the entire shore of West Okoboji has been platted with lake- 
shore lots; back of these a street and another tier of lots facing upon 
this street. Hundreds of cottages have been constructed along the lake 
shore so that in passing along one of these lake-shore roads, it presents 
the appearance of the residence portion of a city. Many cottages have 
been constructed upon the banks of the other lakes, and at this time a plat 
is being made extending from the south limits of the town of Spirit Lake 
along the west bank of East Okoboji nearly to the south end of the lake, 
laying out lots two tiers deep along the lake shore, with a graveled drive- 
way between, making one of the most beautiful drives to be found any 
where. 

There are good roads extending around Spirit Lake, a considerable pari 
of the distance being a few rods only from the bank of the lake and al- 
ways within a short distance of the lake shore. Similar drives extend 
around West Okoboji lake, and upon completion of the plat immediately 
south of the town of Spirit Lake above mentioned, there will be a similar 
drive around East Okoboji lake. — Iowa Magazine, No. 6, 1917, pp 3-6. 



OUR LAKES NEED PROTECTION. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

At the present time the state does not own, or at least owns very little 
of shore lines of lakes in the state. Rapidly as possible the state should 
acquire certain areas along the lake for the purpose of permitting every 
citizen of Iowa access of the same. Complaint has been made to the 
Conservation Board that in a number of places, at Storm Lake, Lake 
View and Clear lake, also other places, people do not have access to the 
lakes. This should not be the case in a great commonwealth like Iowa. 
Certain definite areas should be purchased for park sites and these 
should be dedicated to the people. There is a constant clamor to drain 
the lakes and lower the water level. Mr. Hinshaw, the Fish and Game 
warden, during the last few years, made every effort to increase the 
depth of water. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 179 

Dr. T. H. Macbride in a letter to the Board, makes the following com- 
plaint and urges that this be not done: 

"I learn from reliable sources that the retaining dam across the outlet 
of the system of labes involving Spirit lake and the Okoboji's is objec- 
tionable to some people and that these are attempting to have it re- 
moved. 

"As I understand it, the dam has been built at the expense of the 
state and is practically under state control. I sincerely hope that the 
efforts of those making the attempt to break it up may not succeed. 
It would change the level of the water in the Okoboji system five or six 
feet and would be disastrous to the shores of the lake in a great many 
places. It would make weed patches of the so-called Gar lakes. 

"I beg to call your attention to the situation, confident of your in- 
terest and readiness to serve the large number of property owners along 
the shores of Okoboji lake, as well as the people of the commonwealth 
in general. I am writing you as a member of the Iowa Conservative 
Commission." 

Dr. Pammel wrote this in reply: "I am in receipt of your letter of 
January fourth and I am surprised to learn that an effort is being made 
to remove the dam across the outlet of the system of lakes. I certainly 
think this is the property of the state and should be retained. I certainly 
hope it will not be pulled up. It would seem to me to be a short-sight 
policy." 



THE LAKES OF IOWA. 
By Thomas H. Macbride, President State University. 

It is a rule with landscape artists that a glimpse of water is essential 
to a perfect vista. Doubtless the meaning of the rule lies deep. All 
sorts of men enter into the enthusiasm of that famous body of soldiers 
who on occasion, in school-boy memory shouted "the sea! the sea!" 
Perhaps rivers and lalies and seas were the natural guides of men in 
their earliest wanderings and migrations so that they learned to look 
with comfort upon some peaceful expanse as of lake or river. 

Be this as it may, men of refinement, at least, the world over, have 
delighted always in the changing beauty and restfulness of inland waters. 
From Switzerland to Scotland the lakes year by year, summon expectant 
hosts of happy ti-avelers. In our own country, lakes quite as attractive 
are not so common; those of New York and Wisconsin, however, are 
already famous, and those of Iowa are just entering upon renown. 

The prairie lakes are all too few, in the great state of Iowa scarcely 
a dozen, but some of these are very beautiful and will all one day be 
prized. The finest are as fine as any. Indeed, men who have seen 
the landscape of England's lake district aver constantly that our Spirit 
lake-Okoboji group rivals the best in either England or Scotland and 
except for attendant mountain scenery is as beautiful as any inland 
water in the world. 



180 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The lakes of Iowa have been neglected. They are the property of the 
state and like any piece of public property left untended, our lakes have 
been abused. Only recently has it been thought worth while to care 
for native groves to protect the shores from defilement, and clear the 
waters of obstructions and erosion. 

But today the case is different. The lakes are coming into their own. 
Cottages that cost thousands rise on wooded points, commodious steam- 
boats pass from pier to pier, while sailboats and launches by the hundred 
enliven the landscape at close of every summer day. 

Our lakes lack the background of snow-capped mountains, else we had 
Switzerland or Alberta; but we do have winding shore lines and great 
variety of hill and valley. "High points" rise on every side, conspicuous 
landmarks to the traveler. From any one of these the prairie landscape 
is beautiful in the extreme. The "highest point in Iowa," for instance, 
affords a view of the whole lake system, and prairie villages dot the plain 
over a circle whose radius is fifteen or twenty miles. On these high 
points and shore lands even in mid-summer cool airs are stirring all day 
long; there are not more delightful places the country over. 

Nor are these Iowa lakes without wonderful scientific interest. How 
came they where they are? What Agency tossed the prairie into a land- 
scape of tumultous hills on every side? What erosion deepened Okoboji 
so that great pike and bass hide in the cool recesses of the rocks a 
hundred feet below the shining surface of the crystal water — water green 
as Lake Michigan? What energy rip-rapped these shores for rods to- 
gether with granite walls of stone brought from all the natural northern 
quarries of the world? 

So attractive are these lakes to men of science that the university 
alumni have established a research station on the western shore-line near 
the "highest point" — and here university professors offer lecture courses 
year by year to tell the natural history of the region. These courses are 
open to students in limited number, who camp on the hillsides above the 
lake and spend some weeks investigating physical geography, botany, 
geology, zoology — and competent judges say there is no opportunity so 
fine for such research in all the continent. Here is the noblest illustra- 
tion of the dynamics of the glacier, of pure glacial geology to be found 
in all the United States. Indeed, northern Iowa is classic ground for 
the geologists of the world. Hereafter the surface geology of our 
planet may not be intelligently discussed anywhere without reference 
to Iowa and the facts for which our group of lakes makes statement to 
all whose choose to read. 

The botanist finds about the lakes, such is the strange topography 
here, the most varied vegetation; aquatic plants bloom in scores of 
species everywhere — in lake, in pool, in marsh and shallow; plants that 
represent the dry western plains occur upon the wind-swept hilltops and 
the flora of all the northern prairie occupies the successive levels be- 
tween lake and mesa. 

As the flora varies, so changes the fauna, so that we have animal life 
of every sort; life adapted to deep fresh water, and life where water 
there is none, save as it falls in rain but abides not. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 181 

On East and West Okoboji one may sail today in a single course a 
distance of twelve miles; presently a deepened channel will connect 
Minnewashta, then locks will open the way to great Spirit lake and the 
length of the course will be almost doubled. Fine highways already 
bring the various points along the miles of shore line almost every- 
where in easy access, and the time is not far when the Iowa northern 
lakes will be not only the summer home of hundreds of families, even 
as now, but the delight of thousands who love natural beauty and find 
solace in the gentle ministrations of the natural world where sky and 
meadow, woodland and placid waters meet. 

Nor less will science here have place. The Lakeside Laboratory is 
a beginning only. The movement is even now in progress which shall 
make "the highest point" the pedestal for a telescope; shall build a 
meterological station for the United States, that from such point of 
survey the climatic conditions of the vast northwestern prairie may be 
studied and all our human procedure be more securely guided, if not by 
the influence of the stars, at least by certain knowledge of those aerial 
tides which bring the early and latter rain. 

The northern lakes are the property of the state; they constitute 
an inviolate natural park and are destined to become the most beautiful 
playground for all the people of the whole northwest; shall not Iowa con- 
serve its own? 



PRESERVATION OF IOWA LAKES. 
By Lewis E. Ashbaugh. 

The question of lake preservation may be justly considered an im- 
portant topic for the people of Iowa, and it is especially appropriat'.^ 
that the Iowa Park and Forestry Association take interest therein at the 
present time. Nature has given to this great state rich afnd abundant 
blessings in many ways, but in the matter of beautiful lakes of clear, blue 
water, with sandy shores, and with high banks covered with native forests, 
we realize and admit that we are not well favored. 

Some of us have grown up in other states, or in certain parts of this 
state, where lakes are frequent, and well do we remember the Saturday 
excursions of our childhood days when we trudged off in the early morn- 
ing with our lunch basket, fish-pole, and tomato-can of worms, to spend 
the day on one of the nearby lakes. Perhaps we got only a few small 
perch or sunfish, but there was great pleasure in rowing the big flat- 
bottomed boat around the shores and across the deep, blue waters. And 
who has enjoyed more pleasure than pushing a boat among the lilies in 
search of the beautiful white flowers? And what is more exhilarating than 
the swim in the clear water, along easy sloping, sandy shores, or in the 
winter season, the lively skating with its games of tag and shinny? The 
bath houses and skating rinks of our cities are poor substitutes to one 
accustomed to nature's provisions. 

The condition of this state as regards its lake resorts and pleasures 
was noted verj' emphatically when a party of forty students went to the 



182 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Des Moines river on survey work, and of this number only two or three 
were found who had ever rowed a boat. Such a condition presents this 
problem in simple arithmetic: Subtract from the daily work and play of 
the average youth, and of the adult as well, the clean and healthful 
pleasures of boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking and camping, with a 
good part of hunting and the result will be what? — little else than work, 
with perhaps some athletics to take the place of those other pleasures, 
or more likely only society gaieties. 

The immediate cause for need of activity on part of the people of 
Iowa in regard to lake preservation is the fact that a legal method 
of procedure has been authorized by which meandered lakes of certain 
character may be drained and improved for agricultural purposes. The 
advisability for maintaining and preserving certain lakes for pleasure 
purposes will never be questioned. Similarly there are certain lakes, 
so-called, of which no one will question the advisability of drainage. 

The United States government surveys of fifty years ago regarded as 
lakes many bodies of water which are merely ponds or sloughs at the 
present time, and this association which seeks to preserve the natuval 
beauty of, and usefulness of, forests and stream, hill and dale, will sanc- 
tion the idea of draining and improving these sloughs which are no 
value, but are a menace to the health, the agricultural interests, and 
the general welfare of the community. But there is a middle ground 
which is here not the usual safe middle ground, but the doubtful one. 
Many of these lakes are part lake or clear open water, with perhaps 
the larger part slough or marsh. The adjacent property owner will 
usually desire that the lake be drained while others may desire its preser- 
vation. 

The portions of the act of the last legislature, which are of most in- 
terest to our association, read as follows: 

"Sec. 1. The executive council of the state is hereby authorized and 
empowered to survey the meandered lakes and lake beds within the 
state, and sell the same as hereinafter provided, and determine what 
lakes shall be maintained as the property of the state and what mean- 
dered lake beds belonging to the state may be drained, improved, de- 
mised or sold. 

"Sec. 2. Upon the presentation to the executive council of a state 
ment signed by not less than fifty (50) freeholders, twenty of whom 
shall be actual residents of the township or townships in which said 
lake or lake beds are situated, of any county that any meandered lake 
or lake bed in such county is detrimental to the public health of the 
general welfare of the citizens of the county, and that it is unwise to 
maintain such meandered lake or lake bed as a permanent body of 
water, and that interest of the state will be subserved by draining and 
improving such lake bed, the governor shall within thirty (30) days 
after the receipt of such statement, appoint a competent engineer who 
shall at once examine the situation and condition of such lake or lake 
bed, make a survey and plat thereof, and ascertain whether its location 
is such that it can be drained and improved, and make a full report to 
the executive council of the area and depth of water in the lake and its 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 183 

general physical condition, which report shall be accompanied by his 
plat, field notes and profile of his survey. 

"Sec. 3. Upon receipt of the report of the engineer, the executive 
council shall determine wliether such lake or lake bed shall be main- 
tained and preserved as the property of the state, or whether the 
same shall be drained, improved and the land included within the meander 
lines thereof sold in the manner hereinafter specified. 

"Sec. 4. If the council shall determine that such lake or lake bed 
ought not to be drained, demised or sold, the same shall be kept and 
maintained as the property of the state for the benefit of the general 
public. If the executive council shall determine that it is to the interest 
of the state and the general public that the lake or lake bed, as to which 
the statement is presented, be drained, improved, demised or sold, it may 
permit the same to be drained under the drainage law of the state." 

There are in this state about one hundred meandered lakes, exclusive 
of a few former river channels along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, 
which are lakes on government records. Some of these abandoned 
channels are very nice lakes, such as Horseshoe or Brown's lake, south 
of Sioux City. It may be said that nearly all our lakes are in the north- 
west quarter of the state. 

The United States government surveys recognize as a lake any body 
of water which has an area of 25 acres or more. It was required that 
all such waters should be meandered, i. e. survey lines should be run 
around the lake, near the boundary, yet on the high ground or banks 
if there are such, for the purpose of defining the position of the lake, 
and for ascertaining the acreage to be deducted from each forty acre 
tract of adjacent farm lands. The description in the deeds for sur- 
rounding property calls for lands extending to the meander line; the 
property owner usually has the right to use all the land extending to 
the water's edge. A meandered lake is state property and can be drained 
or sold only under an act of the legislature. 

There are many lakes or area less than twenty-five acres which are 
really private property, the land owner holding deed thereto, paying 
taxes thereon. 

There may also be found lakes of twenty-five acres or more lying en- 
tirely within a section, hence not cut by section lines, and passed 
over by the government survey without meandering. 

Under this recent act of the legislature fourteen petitions have been 
filed and surveys made. At least nine of these fourteen lakes would 
be classed as sloughs or large marshes. One is a long, narrow, stagnant 
pond, an abandoned channel of the Missouri river. After recent wet 
years some of these lakes are now in good serviceable condition for 
pleasure purposes, but during the dry seasons of three or six years ago, 
the water was very low, and in some places the entire lake bed was 
dry, in many places permitting cultivation. 

On these lakes only four reports have been considered and decisions 
given by the executive council. Several reports are now before that 
body. A detailed report of the investigations is not, therefore, advisable 
at this time. It may be stated, however, to the gratification of our asso- 
ciation that it is the purpose of the executive council to maintain every 



184 PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

lake in the state that is of any reasonable service to the people. Sufficient 
time is being given for all interested parties to give their claims or 
desires. It is to be hoped that those vi^ho enjoy the lake pleasures will be 
as active in presenting their views to the council as are those seeking 
drainage or expansion to their farms. — Iowa Park and Forestry Associa- 
tion, 4th Report, pp 85-99. 



OUR LAKES AND RIVERS. 
By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

I have called attention to the preservation of our lakes. Where pos- 
sible these should be preserved. We have comparatively few, but they 
add to many of the attractive features of Iowa. In a measure these lakes 
are public property and should be so regarded. The pleasure resorts 
are for all the people, and not only for those who can afford to pay for 
the many pleasures connected with them. A recent decision in the New 
York Court of Appeals, Wm. Rockefeller, affirmed a judgment of eighteen 
cents damages and $700 costs against a mountaineer who fished in the 
fish reserve of Mr. Rockefeller in the Adirondacks. These parks are 
for the people. The Rockefellers along with J. Pierpont Morgan and 
several other wealthy New Yorkers have purchased large tracts of land 
in the Adirondacks, conceded to be one of the finest of park regions in 
the East, for the middle classes to spend the summer. While I can see 
no o'bjection to these wealthy people buying this land for their own 
pleasure, it does seem that a state having the wealth that New York has 
should be able to control these areas for timber and park purposes for 
the benefit of the people at large, those who have not the means, for 
there are thousands of people in New York who would like to enjoy 
the privilege of a short vacation in the mountains. It would seem to me 
that the state of Iowa should reserve for the use of its citizens parts 
surrounding the lakes for the people at large. I refer especially to shore 
lines. The shore lines of all these lakes should be provided with wide 
and ample drives giving the general public an opportunity to utilize the 
lakes in a legitimate manner. These shore lines should be the property 
of the state. 

There are places in the state, not numerous to be sure, that should 
be guarded and protected. I refer to "the Ledges" In Boone county, a 
small area there should become the legitimate property of the county, 
the city of Boone, or the state, to be preserved forever for the uses of 
the people. Then there is a limited area in Muscatine county, "Wild Cat 
Den," with its unique trees of the north and its southern flora. A greater 
assemblage of southern plants is not to be found anywhere else in the 
state. We also have a limited area in Hardin county, on the Iowa river, 
near Steamboat Rock, especially well known to all lovers of plants. Here 
is a region where the white pine, and cherry birch are found. There is 
no such an assemblage of plants in any other region in the state, besides 
it is a beautiful spot. Then there is a little area in Allamakee county 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 185 

where the balsam fir, white pine, and white birch grow in conjunction with 
a number of boreal plants. 

None of this land is worth much for agricultural purposes but from 
a botanical standpoint and the standpoint of beauty, none are comparable 
to them. Should not the state or various counties where these places 
are located protect and preserve these from spoliation? 

I am glad for the healthy sentiment in this country that is trying 
to preserve the scenic beauty of the Niagra gorge, and I wish that we 
could not only raise our voices in behalf of these great American won- 
ders, but that we might add to them by clothing the surroundings with 
trees and forever dedicate them for the use of the American people. 

I think few of the cities of Iowa realize the beauty of certain of our 
streams. There is scarcely a region in the west that can present so many 
beautiful views as the distance lying between Savannah on the Missis- 
sippi to New Albin in Allamakee county; it has truly been called the 
Switzerland of Iowa. Along this great stream the railroads skirt it upon 
each bank and beyond the railroad we have the timber with its precipi- 
tous bluffs, timbered mostly with the young growth of mostly deciduous 
trees of the oak, hard maple, the birch, the elm, hickory and butternut. 
Here and there efforts have been made, especially near the cities of 
Dubuque and Clinton, to utilize some of this for summer resorts. I wish 
that every foot of this rough gi'ound between St. Paul and Clinton might 
not only be utilized for the growth of timber, as it is admirably suited 
to be, but also for park purposes. 

The above subject naturally leads to a discussion of city forestry, a 
matter that I called your attention to last year. The subject of city 
forestry will become more and more important as the country becomes 
older. I have before me a circular in which the status of the case is 
pretty well stated. City forestry must eventually become equal in im- 
portance to city park making, as the people learn more of the economic 
value of inaugurating a system of practical management for the parkings, 
boulevards, vacant lands, etc. The advisability of any city adopting 
forestry would seem plain, when we consider, according to Mr. C. Jensen: 
"I. That the parkings alone contain a greater combined area than the 
parks. (Some cities have parkings, but no parks proper.) 

"II. That the parkings are seen by a greater number of people on a 
greater number of days in the year than the parks. 

"III. That every taxpayer and resident would profit by it directly. 
"IV. That from the economic as well as from the aesthetic stand- 
point, extensive and judicious tree planting should precede any other 
feature in beautifying grounds of any kind. 

"The backwardness of our cities in introducing forestry may be 
ascribed to the fact that forestry is comparatively new in this country 
and as yet only a few men are properly trained to make working plans 
for the management of municipal forests, parks and ornamental grounds." 
I want to urge also particularly in this connection the importance of 
establishing driveways along our streams. Many of our important cities 
in the state of Iowa are located on streams. Adjacent to these streams 
we should have public parks and where convenient a wide and ample 
driveway should be provided along the stream. How much more beautiful 



186 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the city of Des Moines would appear to a stranger if in place of the pres- 
ent conditions which exist, there were a driveway on the east and west 
sides of the river, from the city limits on the north to the city limits 
on the south. What infinite pleasure the toiler might receive by taking 
a stroll along this boulevard with its drives and walks and flower beds. 
There is nothing that would add so much to the beauty of Des Moines 
as a little bit of awakening in this direction. This good work might well 
be extended to other cities in the state. — Iowa Park and Forestry asso- 
ciation, 6th Annual Report, pp 32-8. 



PRESERVE AND IMPROVE OUR LAKES. 
By E. C. Hinshaw. 

I heartily recommend that the next legislature provide ways and 
means for the preservation and improvement of every lake in the state. 
No lake should be drained, at least until the proper experiments have been 
conducted for their improvement. If it is found that certain lakes cannot 
be improved and it should be the wish of the people in the locality 
where such lakes are located that they should be drained, the state will 
not have lost anything by delaying the drainage a few years. I am con- 
fident, however, that there is not a community where one of the lakes are 
located that will want their lake drained after they once see what can 
be done by way of improvement. 

Let me repeat what I have said before, that more pounds of fish can 
be raised in an acre of proper water than it is possible to raise pounds 
of beef on the best lands that Iowa affords. These fish are worth more 
per pound than beef, and this does not take into consideration the recrea- 
tion, which is much more valuable than either the fish or beef and cannot 
be figured in dollars and cents. 

Let us not forget in our mad rush for land to raise corn, that there are 
other things that count besides the almighty dollar. Let us preserve 
our lakes; let us improve our lakes; let us provide parks around each 
lake, where the people can go for picnics without trespassing; let us 
provide such places in that part of the state where there are no natural 
lakes by building dams, etc., and creating small lakes. Why is it we 
have not had more support in our efforts along these lines? Maybe it 
is because the people haven't understood. Let us all get busy and then 
these things will come and come easy. 

If some of the people who are so anxious to drain lakes will investigate 
some of the lake beds that have been drained for several years and 
find that they are nothing more than swamps and are absolutely worthless 
for agricultural purposes, and talk with the farmers who have been forced 
to pay large sums of money for imaginary benefits, they will not be so 
strong for lake drainage. Let the legislature make provision for the 
improvement of lakes and see how fast the sentiment grows in each 
community to have their lakes improved. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 187 

The greater lakes of the state, including the Olcoboji, Spirit lake, Clear 
lake, Wall lake in Sac county, and others that have been used as resorts 
by thousands of people for years, have never received any state aid or 
assistance. 

It is a disgrace to a state like Iowa to have such beautiful lakes within 
her borders and give them no attention, or make any provisions whereby 
the public can enjoy them without trespassing. The state should pur- 
chase now suitable parks around every lake in Iowa and provide highways 
to these lakes for the benefit of all the people. There are several places 
around the great lakes now where there is no opportunity for the people to 
get to the lake shores for the purpose of hunting, fishing:, bathing or pic- 
nicking, without being ordered off by the land owners. Let us talk con- 
servation, preservation and lake improvement. — Report of State Fish 
and Game Wai'den. 



STATE PARKS AND 
RESERVES 



State Parks and Reserves — 

CuLLEY, Frank H. 
CuRTiss, Dr. C. F. 
Lazell, Fred J. 
Macbride, Dr. T. H. 
McDonald, G. B. 
Morbeck, G. C. 
Pammel, L. H. 
Schmidt, G. Perle Wilson 

SCHERMERIIORN, ZeLLAII M. 



STATE PARKS AND RESERVES. 



FOREST PARKS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE RURAL 
COMMUNITY. 

By Charles F. Curtis, B. Sc, D. S. 

I am very greatly interested in the purpose and the work of this 
organization, the Iowa Park and Forestry Association. 

Nature has done a great deal for Iowa in the way of most pleasing 
and attractive scenic 'beauty. The Indians seem to have recognized 
this in the name that they gave to Iowa, "Beautiful Land." I do not 
know that we, as a whole, have been altogether as appreciative as the 
Indians, in recognizing and making the most of these places of beauty. 
In fact, some of them have been ruthlessly destroyed. I think it is very 
imiportant, indeed, that a sentiment be created, in making the most of 
our places of beauty and the attractive places for recreation. We are 
all greatly interested in the plans for establishing a national park in 
northeastern Iowa, and it is certainly to be hoped that plans for that 
work may be constructed in the near future and we may have a park 
which will be most pleasing, attractive and useful to the people of the 
state and the nation. The automobile has become a great factor in the 
welfare of the community. I think it is highly important that we 
consider the development of the park in connection with this, not only 
for the tourists who are going througih the state, but for our own people. 
The people of the state can utilize these parks to a much larger degree 
as the highways are improved and the automobile comes into more 
general use. 

We have a great many other places in the state that should be uti- 
lized as parks under state supervision or even under county or com- 
munity supervision. I think we ought to begin to develop a state pol- 
icy of utilizing and preserving and making the most of these places. 

I suggested a year ago, when this association had a meeting here, the 
state has a large fund accumulated through the office of the State Game 
and Fish Commission, that oomes fnom the contributions of the people 
of the state who take out licenses, and it seems entirely fitting and 
proper that this fund be utilized in a way to be of most service to the 
people of the state and of permanent value, and the proceeds from the 
lish and game licenses might be applied on parks for the oonservation of 
fish and game to excellent advantage, I believe. I believe the Fish and 
Game Commission has recommended that tracts of land be purchased at 
certain places in the state along the streams where fish and game may 
be preserved. I believe that it would be an excellent idea to carry out 
some such plan. I think we might go farther. We have a good many 
lakes in the state and some of these afford ideal places for establishing 
game and fis'h preserves. In these sections the land is not very valuable 



192 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

for farm purposes, fortunately. The highway commission has been 
making a survey of many of these lakes in the state during the past 
biennial period and has made a report to the legislature and before the 
people of the state. 

I believe we ought to consider well the feasibility and practicability 
of utilizing all these places in the state, to the highest degree in the 
way of natural parks and recreation grounds. . Nature has been rather 
liberal with the state in that way, yet we have not appreciated the value 
of the preservation of these places as we should 

I am very much pleased, indeed, that this association is giving at- 
tention to this problem, issuing excellent reports — ^as thej'' have been 
doing, putting these things before the people and the legislature in such 
a way that tliey may make the most of the opportunities that we have 
to preserve these beauty spots.— Iowa Conservation, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. IS. 



FOREST PARKS IN IOWA. 
By G. B. McDonald, Botanist. 

Many of the early settlers in Iowa looked upon the forest as an un- 
desirable encumbrance to the land and, as was their custom before com- 
ing to this section, they started a program of forest destruction. Even 
with a relatively small timber area in Iowa, the pioneer cut the forest 
trees not only on the level stretches which could be put under the plow, 
but also turned his attention to the hills where this process of deforesta- 
tion was continued for the purpose of adding a few acres for crop pro- 
duction, or grazing. Defensible as such a progi'am is in general for the 
pioneer, the results of continuing this process of forest destruction 
beyond reasonable limits, are not difficult to picture. We need only 
to turn to sections in China or other countries to see the effect of total 
forest destruction on the surrounding country. Even thougih the 
topography of the state is not such as to cause the worst damage after 
the cutting of the forests, yet any fair minded citizen can see the many 
undesirable features of continuing such a policy. 

We are told that some of the best developed commercial countries 
of Europe have reserved as timber lands from 20 to 29 per cent of their 
total land area. We are further told that countries depending to a large 
extent on their own timber production must have approximately this 
percentage of their land surfaces reserved for timber production. The 
fact that the state of Iowa is able to draw its principal lumber and tim- 
ber supplies from adjoining states does not indicate that it is desirable 
to allow waste areas or rough lands to remain idle or only partially pro- 
ductive when such areas are particularly well adapted to the production 
of timber. From an economic standpoint, it is not desirable for the 
state to permit potential forest areas which cannot well be handled 
through individual means, to remain idle or only partially productive, 
just the same as we would consider it undesirable for the farmer to dis- 
regard the cultivation of a tract of agricultural land merely because it 




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Red Rock, Marion County. 



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is^i 




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Mississippi River Near Lansing. 



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Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County. 




Mississipiji River Near Lansing 




l.ittle Sioux River at Peterson. 




Ocheyedan Mound, Osceola County. 




Boneyard Hollow, Webster County. 




Crags in Devil's Backbone Park, Delaware County. 







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MH 




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North Twin Lake, Calhoun County. 




Waterville Park, Allamakee County, 




Knlrance to The Ledges, Boone. 





Pasque Flower, or Crocus. 



Reindeer Lichen, Ledges, Boone. 





Purple Cone Flower. 



Canadian Yew, Palisades, Linn Co. 




Islaiuls^ in Mississippi River Near Lansing. 




Wooded Scene at Devil's Backbone, Madison County. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 193 

was weedy or less accessible than other portions of his farm. Naturally 
such hilly regions and waste lands which are suitable only for the pro- 
duction of trees and which cannot be planted and cared for by the 
individual, due to the long period required for the production of the 
crop of timbler, should be taken 'over under state control and developed 
as state forests or state forest parks. 

We need only to • turn to European countries to see the extent to 
which the forest idea and park idea are worked together. In fact, prac- 
tically all the forest areas in the thicker populated districts in Europe 
serve the people for parks as well. In this way the state is not only 
securing a. regular revenue from the forest products produced, but each 
locality has splendid forested areas for recreational puposes. 

It is interesting to note the changing ideas in relation to the develop- 
ment of our national forests. During the first years of national forest 
administration, the people felt that the principal idea in mind was merely 
the perpetuation of an adequate timber supply for this country. Impor- 
tant as this feature is, it is not by any means the sole purpose of 
our national forests. Soon after their establishment, it was 
found that many areas were well suited for the grazing of stock. Pro- 
vision was made to utilize the forests in this way. Later, many of the 
forests situated in the higher mountainous regions were found to be 
capable of being developed for water power. This has been done and 
the electric power developed is now being utilized in many different 
ways. Within the past few years another means of usefulness for the 
national forests has come to the attention of the public. Although a few 
in the past years have made use of the national forests for recreational 
purposes, yet the great majority of the people owning the 165,000,000 
acres of national forests did not realize the value of these extensive 
areas for camping, hunting and recreational purposes. It is only within 
the past year or two that those in charge have undertaken the syste- 
matic opening up of our national forest areas for the recreational use of 
the people. The possibilities of our national forests for use and as pleas- 
ure grounds are unlimited. Their boundaries embrace the finest scenic 
features of our country and among the finest of the world. We are well 
aware of the fact that the men who originated and developed the national 
forest idea had in mind the tremendous value of these areas for the use 
of the people. Ex-President Roosevelt in one of his messages to con- 
gress, said that these national areas "should afford perpetual protection 
to the native fauna and flora; safe haven of refuge to our rapidly dimin- 
ishing wild animals of the larger kinds, and free camping ground for 
the ever increasing number of men and women who have learned to find 
rest, health and recreation in the splendid forests and flower-clad mead- 
ows of our mountains. The forest reserves should be set apart forever 
for the use and benefit of our people as a whole and not sacrificed to the 
short-sighted greed of a few." 

Although the splendid national parks and national forests are found 
largely throughout the western country and serve a limited number of 
our people, yet it is hardly necessary to mention the fact that the great 
majority of the people are unable, for business or other reasons, to 

13 



194 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

travel great distances annually, in order to secure recreation and rest 
wMch is essential to good health. For this reason the states, especiallj' 
those of the prairie region, would pursue a wise policy in the establish- 
ment of state forest parks which would be within easy reach of every 
man, woman and child in the state. The value of a program of this 
kind toward the welfare of the people can hardly be estimated. A forest 
or ipark area of this kind located in every county of Iowa, is not an 
unreasonable thing to look forward to. After our park system is once 
established and in operation, we will wonder why we waited so long 
to provide these areas. 

Hardly a county in Iowa is found without a suitable area for this 
purpose. The northern counties of the state have a wealth of lakes 
which should be among the first to be preserved for all time for the use 
of the people. These lakes are now largely owned by the state. The 
addition of even a narrow strip of land surrounding these splendid bodies 
of water would guarantee the use of these localities for the people 
as a whole. The expenditure of a small sum of money in proper main- 
tenance and beautifying these areas would turn those which are not 
already in good condition, into parks which need not take second place 
to any similar areas in this part of the country. Many of the counties 
which are not favored by the presence of lakes, have beautifully wooded 
streams or hills or splendid geological features which should be set aside 
as state park areas before these are utterly destroyed. Any person who 
is acquainted with the various localities throughout Iowa, knows the ex- 
tent to which timber, which has been growing from 50 to 200 years, has 
been cut. If these areas can be set aside and protected we will have at 
once a series of parks which might take a hundred years to reproduce 
if the areas are once despoiled. 

These forested areas scattered over the state serve not only as recre- 
ational grounds but are factors in the ameliorating of our climate. In ad- 
dition, for the satisfaction of some people, it is necessary to look at 
these areas from the standpoint of their money value. The land dealer 
well knows the value which is added to the farm having a good grove of 
trees adjoining the farm buildings. It is well known that a farm so 
equipped will sell at a considerably higher price than a similar farm 
not so equipped. Is it not true that siplendid park area in a county 
will actually add value in dollars and cents to the surrounding farm 
lands in that locality? It is. hardly to be supposed that in a state as rich 
as Iowa where farm land values have doubled over and over again in the 
past few years, that we cannot afford to provide for the reservation of 
these relatively small forest park areas in the various communities. 

Iowa has a wealth of tree species such as are found in few other locali- 
ties in the world. To most people it would seem rather ridiculous to 
consider for a moment the possible extinction of certain tree species of 
Iowa However, we have come very close to this point in connection 
with the most important evergreen tree which has been grown in this 
country. The white pine formerly found in considerable numbers in 
northeastern Iowa and as far west as Hardin county, is now a rarity. A 
few small patches of this timber are still to be found. In other places, 
Isolated species are still in existence. At the present time the question 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 195 

of extinction of the native trees of this species is left entirely with indi- 
vidual land owners. Many of these areas would come naturally in state 
forest parks if these are to be established. What has been said of 
white pine is true with other species such as the balsam fir. It would 
be nothing short of a crime to permit a policy to run which would cause 
the cutting of the last few trees of any important tree species, just the 
same as it would be indefensible for us to permit the extermination of 
quail or other birds merely through lack of interest in their protection. 

A few years ago our attention was called to the rapid destruction of 
the giants of the tree world, the sequoias, in California. The very lim- 
ited areas in which these giant trees, some of which measure 44 feet 
in diameter, were found, were in the hands of commercial timber dealers 
who were ready to convert these oldest specimens of living things on 
earth into dollars and cents. The people of the country rose up in pro- 
test against the entire destruction of these forests which have been grow- 
ing for nearly 4,000 years, and it was through the efforts of the National 
Geographic Society that provision was made for taking the control of 
these lands out of the hands of private individuals. Even though we 
may not have tree species as interesting as these giants of the Pacific 
coast, yet we have our own native tree flora iVhich is not to be dupli- 
cated in any part of the world and portions of which should be preserved 
for the generations which are to come. 

In conclusion, it will seem that the state forest park area is desirable 
from many standpoints. Its aesthetic and recreational values cannot 
be questioned ; its scientific value in the preservation of native flora 
will at least be appreciated by the scientific people of the state. In 
addition, its value for the conservation of game birds and animals is 
easily recognized and also its value from the business man's standpoint 
is readily apparent. The continuance of the state park program which 
has now been started, if extended to all parts of Iowa, will mark the 
beginning of a splendid period of development in this state, which will 
mean much not only to the people of today but those of tomorrow. 



FORESTS AND THEIR RELATION TO STREAM FLOW. 

By Thomas H. Macbride, President State University of Iowa. 

Gould our science by any plan devised guarantee this we should de- 
serve, if we did not receive, the grateful homage of all the future. The 
report by Mr. Norton is but a beginning in this direction. Doubtless no 
one more than the author of that valuable paper recognizes the truth- 
fulness of this statement. To know the truth in regard to deep wells, 
the extent of aquiferous beds, their sources of supply, their probable 
content, and the depth at which they must severally be sought is infor- 
mation of the most desirable and practical sort. But what of our sup- 
ply of ground water? What of those superficial couches which give us 
the prairie spring, the long winding creek, our creeping rivers? In this 
direction lies a peril I believe for the state of Iowa today. There is in 



196 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

my opinion no question as to the facts in the problem. Everyone familiar 
with the case will, I believe, assent that the state as a whole, is much 
drier than it was 40 or 50 years ago. It was at one time in all eastern 
Iowa, the common practice for each man to dig a well, for house or field, 
almost where he chose. A few feet below the surface, water was abun- 
dant. There is no such water supply now. Sloughs abounded from whose 
miry ooze the water seeped all summer long, and running water was 
found on ev.ery farm. There is no running water now; not because 
of dry seasons, but because of drainage. The insidious tiles exhaust 
the bed of the slough, and highway ditches on every square mile pre- 
vent all accumulation of surface water. Local rainfall is immediately 
carried away and has no time to soak down and fill subjacent porous 
layers. The soil has become dry, and for wa;ter supply the citizen must 
rely upon beds far down below, beneath one or more sheets of drift. This 
is one side of the question. Resultant from it, in part, appears another 
phenomenon, viz.: the failure of our streams. The creeks unfed, dried 
many of them long ago, except as flushed, sewer-wise, by the rush of sur- 
face storm-water, and the rivers are manifestly diminishing year by 
year. The sands and clays from ploughed hillsides are choking their 
channels, sealing their slender fountains. The stripping of woods and 
forest from river and hillside, from the rocky banks has all tended in 
the same direction. The water courses unshaded dry up in the sum- 
mer sun. It is a fact often observed that trees by the highway keep the 
road muddy long after rain. To the same effect operate groves and' 
thickets along our streams. The Platte river goes dry in summer; and 
yet the Platte river is fed by eternal snows. Shall the Des Moines, the 
Cedar and the Iowa, dependent on rainfall fare better than the Platte 
when their channels are filled with sand and all protection of forest 
and woodland have been stripped completely from their sides? As civ- 
ilized men we have overthrown in all ways in flora, in fauna, in surface 
conditions an equilibrium which nature after numberless oscilliations had 
established and it remains for us as a people to reach quickly a similar 
pacific state under new conditions with different species, different forms. 

But it is said time will solve these problems; implying, of course, 
that time will solve them happily and right. But time, like experience, 
keeps a dear school, and the proverb does not commend the mental acu- 
men of those who wait for such instruction. Besides, as just said, time 
has already solved the problem, and in that solution there is absolutely 
naught of hope. 

Iowa is not a tropical island, bathed by ocean dews and washed by 
diurnal rains, where superfluous vegetable wealth forbids labor and de- 
nies the possibility of want; on the other hand, our prairies, although of 
matchless fertility, lie just on the limit of the region of inadequate rain- 
fall. We have had, hitherto, just enough humidity and no more. Minne- 
sota and Wisconsin are nearer the lakes, and Missouri, nearer the gulf; 
west of us are the semi-arid regions, once ominously called the American 
desert, whose hot breath even now occasionally invades our western and 
central counties. 

I am aware that the competent director of our Iowa weather service 
takes the view that the climate of Iowa is a constant; that the rainfall 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 197 

is probably also constant, taken one year with an other over long periods 
of time. This we may admit as true with the probable exception that 
our data, if sufficiently extended backward, might show a gradual, though 
very slight, decrease for all the western Mississippi valley. The average 
rainfall of t,he past eight years has been for Iowa as follows: 

Inches 

1890 31.12 

1891 33.13 

1892 35.74 

1893 27.31 

1894 21.95 

1895 26.63 

1896 37.45 

1897 (11 months) 24.98 

We pass through seasons dry and wet; as Mr. Sage expresses it we 
have our "ups and downs;" but is it not plain that it is not so much the 
volume of rainfall in this part of the world as the amount of it, that 
in our processes of agriculture and elsewhere, we are enabled to use 
that must be considered? All that may be said in reference to constancy 
of our climate and the average uniformity of our rainfall may be granted, 
and yet I believe that the problem I have broached is a real one, a very 
real one, worthy the consideration of this body and demanding now the 
mos-t serious attention at the hands of this whole people. The rainfall 
may be absolutely constant, or subject only to variations such as are 
continental, planetary if you please in origin, and yet the amount of 
moisture available for use in any particular locality for any given time 
may depend on causes which may be traced wholly or in great part to 
human agencies. 

Such cases are, therefore, under our control. As I have already re- 
marked, our methods of agriculture affect in profoundest fashion the re- 
cipient and retentive characters of the ground. 

Permit me to carry my argument a little further. Our streams are 
threatened because we have cut off their sources of perennial supply. 
Omnipresent drainage and tillage has affected, is affecting, more and 
more their constancy. 

The question of general humidity interests primarily the farmer, and 
the farmer is mainly responsible for present conditions and tendencies; 
but, the existence of our nivers effects those of the city perhaps even 
more than those of the field. Along the Iowa river for instance are El- 
dora, Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, Iowa City, and other towns of only less 
importance, all dependent upon the river for their water supply. The 
Iowa river rises in Hancock county. Until within a few years that county 
contained thousands of acres of marsh land, peat bogs, lakes, among 
which Eagle Lake was large enough to receive a name. What is the situ- 
ation now? The marshes of Hancock county have been drained, the 
peat-beds support harvests of grain, and Eagle lake has given place to 
corn fields over which passes, autumn and springtime alike, the farmer's 
triumphant plow. The history of smaller tributaries to the river is pre- 
cisely the same, all the way until it receives the Cedar and finally pours a 



198 PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 

diminished flood into the Mississippi. The same thing is true of the 
Skunk river, the Coon, the Des Moines; and yet cities not a few are 
dependent more or less entirely on these streams for water. This is aside 
from all interests the farmers have in the streams, interest practical or 
theoretical. It may be said tliat the cities have resources; tliey may 
sink artesian wells. But we have yet to prove that this is practicable. 
In fact it has been tried in some places and found impracticable. But, 
wells or not, wet seasons or dry seasons, rainfall or no rainfall, Iowa 
cannot afford to become at any time absolutely desiccated if in any way 
such catastrophe can be averted. 

But, you say, how is this matter to be remedied? Can we turn back 
the index on the dial-plate of time? No; it is not to be expected that 
original conditions can ever be restored. It is not even desirable to bring 
them back at all. Public interest, public sanitation would doubtless de- 
mand that the hogs be drained. Besides, some system of ponds or arti- 
ficial lakes may probably be some day established, whose overflow may 
avail somewhat to replace the lost surface reservoirs which our agricul- 
ture has destroyed. More than this, if when we consider the fate of our 
streams we take into account at once the woodland and the prairie, there 
has been since the settlement of Iowa gain as well as loss. We have 
lost on the prairie, and aside from recent destructive tendencies have 
gained in the wooded areas. The second growth thicket is a much bet- 
ter retainer of moisture than were the primeval woods. These were 
in great measure open; they were fire-swept nearly every year, and the' 
stratum of leaves, mosses, and humliler plants which in true forest con- 
ditions lie like a sponge over the whole surface, was entirely wanting. 

Our new forest has been until recently, actually much more extensive, 
much more dense, much richer in leaf-mould and in every way fitter for 
the true work of a forest in the direction of determining the volume of 
local moisture. We have but to emphasize this advantage to equalize at 
least in some degree our manifest losses. 

My argument then comes simply to this: I contend that the narrow 
measure of Iowa's woodland should as such be religiously presei*ved and 
in a thousand places extended. Every rocky bank, every steep hillside, 
every overhanging bluff, evei*y sandhill, every clay-covered ridge, every 
rain-washed gully should be kept sacredly covered with trees; every 
gorge, sink-hole, should be shaded, every spring be protected, every 
streamlet and every stream and lake bordered and overshadowed. In 
short every foot of untillable land, and even a little more along creek 
and river margins, should be clothed with woods, should be woodland, 
land not devoted to pasturage at all, but land devoted to woods for the 
conservation, as far as may be, of the state's supply of surface moisture. 
By the voice of all authority, by the teaching of all experience, by every 
presumption of science such treatment of Iowa lands and such only is 
rational, wise and hope-inspiring for the future. 

But now the edict has gone forth that the woodland must be cleared; 
eveir>' forest must be hewn down. We are told over and over again 
that Iowa has less waste land than any state in the union, that she has 
hardly an acre that may not pass under the plow; and in our effort to 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 199 

make good our boast we are in danger of committing irretrievable dam- 
age upon what was indeed the most magnificent heritage of this whole 
Mississippi valley. 

I have left out of view in this argument entirely the aesthetic side 
of this question, the necessity of streams and lakes and woodlands to 
the aesthetic side of human nature. The absolute need of the milder 
healing influences of natural beauty to our eager, anxious, overworked, 
care-burdened, gain-seeking people I have elsewhere found occasion to 
discuss. -Nor have I touched at all the sentimental side to the problem. 
I have said nothing of Iowa as a home, as a land suitable in which to 
rear generation after generation of wise and happy children who shall 
grow up to love the place of their nativity and nurture; I argue now only 
for Iowa as a field, a great field enclosed by wires from which may 
still be forwarded train-load after train-load of corn and beef. The drain- 
age of our prairies, the destruction of what little woods we have, these 
two things do, in my judgment threaten our wealth, threaten our hope of 
gain, and therefore ought to command the attention of our people to any 
reasonable discussion of the question and to commend any effort made 
to attain a definite knowledge of the truth. 

But no sermon is complete without the application, and the question 
now rises what can the academy do in these premises? "We can in the 
first place investigate. Scattered as we are over the broad domain of 
the state, we can, as we prosecute other lines of inquiry, likewise ob- 
serve the facts that bear upon the problem here presentd. Perhaps the 
geological survey has already such a line of investigation well in mind. It 
would surely very properly supplement the discussion of artesian waters. 
More than this, as we accumulate information, we may take pains to 
disseminate the same. I am of the opinion that this academy might, 
with advantage to itself and the public, largely increase its membership 
and so widen its influence, and thus eventually reach our myriad several 
communities, the ultimate sources of power. 

Possibly the legislature might be induced to hasten such investigation 
as the situation would seem to demand. A year or two since we peti- 
tioned the legislature to take steps for the presentation of our lakes. I 
am not informed that the legislature ever considered the matter at all. 
But, however willing the legislature, the problem is too far-reaching, too 
intricate, for their action. What can the legislature do? Shall the state 
own the livers and their banks? This might avail in Germany but is not 
once to be thought of under our democratic system. We must reach 
the communities. The people interested must own the wooded banks 
and rocky bluffs. Is it not to the interest of the city of Des Moines 
to own the sources of the Ooon, the wooded banks and hills that pro- 
tect its streams in summer? If New York City can own large water- 
sheds of the Croton, and if the state of New York may sustain the Hud- 
son valley by the magnificent Adirondack forest reserve; if the city of 
Boston may absolutely govern in all problems topographic, all the sur- 
rounding country, shall not the towns of Iowa find it to their interest also 
to protect by every means our meagre streams and scanty woodlands? 
Nay, may not all the people, locality after locality, be brought to see 
the true condition of affairs so clearly that the people will themselves, 



200 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

community with community, and neighborhood with neighborhood, com- 
bine to the accomplishing of a purpose so beneficent, so absolutely essen- 
tial to the continued prosperity of our people? 

Some of us have seen county after county almost across our state 
pay a heavy assessed tax for the construction of a railway deemed nec- 
essary to the country's development. A movement such as here con- 
templated would be cheap in comparison, as regards the first required 
outlay, and would return dividends not, as too often in the other case, in 
vexation, litigation and disappointment, but in ever-increasing profit, 
pleasure and benediction upon ourselves and our children. The cost 
would be wholly inconsiderable. 

The people would act today if the situation were clearly understood. 
The question is whether we do the right thing now or wait until the ex- 
pense shall be increased a hundred-fold. The preservation of springs and 
streams and forests will one day be undertaken as freely as the building 
of fences or bridges or barns. When that day comes, Iowa, once so fair in 
her virginal beauty of wild-flowered meadow and stream-washed grove, 
now so rich in all that comes from tillage and toil, will put on yet an 
added splendor, in that all her toil and tilth shall yield to wisdom's guid- 
ance; forest and meadow receive each in turn intelligent and appropriate 
recognition; beauty become an object of universal popular concern, and 
once again across the prairie state the clarified waters of a hundred 
streams will move in perennial freshness toward the great river and the 
sea. — Iowa Academy of Sciences, Vol. 5, pp. 16-23. 



RELATION OF STATE TO NATIONAL PARKS. 
By Frank H. Culley. 

In this magnificently conceived national park system of ours there has 
been reserved a very definite and a very valuable place for the state 
parks. Before discussing the relation of the state parks to the national 
park system, it is quite essential that we understand fully that the public 
lands which go to make up this system are owned and controlled in the 
main by three distinct political units; first, the nation; second, the states; 
and third, the municipalities. 

Under the control and ownership of the nation we have snch public 
lands as the national parks, the national forests, the national monu- 
ments, Indian reservations, military reservations and the great national 
Mghways. The state, generally sipeaking, has more or less direct con- 
trol of all the public lands in the political units that go to make up 
their rural communities. The state then controls such public lands as 
state iparks, state forests, local scenery reservations, water shed reser- 
vations, roadways, school grounds, cemeteries and church grounds found 
in the rural districts. While the municipalities have within their- own 
boundaries park systems containing rural parJvs, on their outskirts; 
large city parks; neighborhood parks; school grounds and play grounds; 
cemeteries; waterfront developments; town commons and squares; all 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 201 

of which are tied into one continuous system by means of their boule- 
vards. 

The national park system is comparable in its organization with that 
of the municipalities in that it is made up of all of these various units, re- 
gardless of their ownership and control, before mentioned, starting with 
the national parks and continuing down through to the smallest unit 
within the municipality. This whole group of disconnected areas is in 
turn to be connected and made into one great park system by means 
of a net work of national, state, county and local highways and munici- 
pal boulevards. 

Professor Frank A. Waugh, who has been influential in forming the 
national park policy, has the following to say. relative to the factors 
that should determine the selection and location of these parks. 

"The national parks are destined to play a veiT important role in 
the future development of America. If we look at civic art from the na- 
tional standpoint, they are of prime importance. These national parks 
should be established in various parts of the country, their location 
being determined pi'imarily by the desire to preserve spots of national 
historic importance, or with the intention of preserving typical examples 
of natural scenery or special more or less spectacular features of na- 
tional importance. The Yellowstone Park in Wyoming is a fine exampli- 
fication of this idea. Niagara Falls and its environs ought to become a 
great national (really international) park, and this again illustrates the 
idea distinctly. The battle ground reservations at Gettysburg and 
Lookout Mountain give examples of areas reserved on account of their 
historic interest. 

"Should we secure an adequate park reservation in the White moun- 
tains o^r in the Adirondacks under federal control, this would be an ex- 
ample of a park in which would be preserved fine types of natural scen- 
ery. However, we ought to present in the same way the equally beauti- 
ful scenery of the sea coast dunes, of the great interior prairies and of 
the arid deserts. All these scenery types are beautiful, valuable and 
highly important. They cannot be permanently kept for succeeding gen- 
erations in America unless they are appropriated by the national govern- 
ment and administered in behalf of the whole people. The time should 
never come when the people of the United States cannot have access 
to the great and beautiful landscapes which make America what it is 
today. 

"Other and similar reservations, however, are needed under state con- 
trol. There are many spots of natural beauty, many types of fine native 
sceneiT, many places of historic interest in every state, which are espe- 
cially valuable to the state itself. Though these should all be preserved, 
they may not be of such national importance as to justify the federal 
government in patronizing them. 

"Besides this, however, even the local community has similar oppor- 
tunities. The smallest and poorest town has also its spot of historic 
interest, its types of beautiful scenery, its picnic grounds, its lakes 
and hills, which should not be allowed to pass into private control. Rather 
should they be acquired by the public and kept open to all the citizens 



202 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

of the town. This is a matter of great consequence Avhich is being 
widely neglected. 

"The items most communities need to look after in this way are: A, 
ponds and lakes, which ought either to be owned in toto or should 
be accessible through the ownership of shore properties; b, river shores; 
c, mountain tops or hills commanding especially good scenery; d, small 
streams, brooks and water falls; e, rocky glens, caves, etc." 

In the way of figures we might state today we have for example, 9,773 
square miles of national reservations known technically as national 
parks; and 242,000 square miles of national forests. These two alone 
give us very nearly a quarter of a million square miles of national 
recreation grounds. The aggregate today of all publicly reserved lands 
is very nearly 200,000,000 acres or about two acres per capita. With 
these figures before us it is of timely interest to note that by far the 
greater iportion of this great park land is owned by the nation and mu- 
nicipalities, leaving a very small percentage owned by the state. 

We must have more state parks if we are going to uphold that por- 
tion of the great system of national parks for recreation and play that 
has been allotted to the states. The state reservations are those destined 
to best serve the greatest number of people intimately. The reservation 
of state parks is an important matter and one wbich opens up to us the 
next great field of progress and one which is upon us right now. Build 
now for the future. 



ACTION NEEDED IN CONSERVATION. 
By Fred J. Lazell, Author. 

During the fifteen years the Iowa Forestry and Conservation Associa- 
tion has been in existence it has been pleading with the state officials 
and the state legislature to save some of the beauty spots of Iowa 
from destruction. Included in its membership have been leading scien- 
ists, farmers and horticulturalists of the state; some poets and now and 
then a man versed in the Avays of politicians. With united voice, these 
members have pointed out the need of conserving at least a part of 
that natural beauty of which the state once was so proud. They have 
urged that some of the state's most beautiful lakes be conserved and 
their natural beauty enhanced rather than diminished. They have pleaded 
for the protection of forest coverings on some of the noblest elevations 
and in some of the charming valleys. They have asked for the conserva- 
tion of the state's wild fiowers; for greater protection to its birds. They 
have pointed out how all this might be brought about by the purchase 
of tracts of 50 to 100 acres of scenic beauty at each of, say a dozen dif- 
ferent localities throughout the state. And they have shown that these 
state and county parks would not only preserve the scenic splendor of 
the state and afford protection to desirable forms of vegetable and animal 
wild life, but would also afford natural parks to which the people of 
the surrounding towns and townships might go for rest and recreation. 

Meanwhile the progressive cities of the state like Des Moines, Cedar 
Rapids, Sioux City, Davenport, Dubuque, Council Bluffs, have spent mil- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 203 

lions of dollars purchasing and developing parks for the people. Life in 
the cities is far more enjoyable than it used to be because men with 
vision and good judgment have provided these places of beauty and 
freedom where tired workers may find rest from their labors and heal- 
ing for their hurts suffered in the battle of life. But there have been 
no such men of vision in the Iowa legislature; or if there may have been 
one now and then, he has found it imipossible to impart his vision to the 
men who listened coldly, and sometimes impatiently, while he tried to 
describe for them some of the most notable bits of beauty here and 
there in the state and to give reasons why they ou^ht not to be despoiled 
but to be passed on more beautiful to succeeding generations. 

A member of the present Iowa senate wrote me less than two weeks 
ago. He said that he had hoped to get support enough for a measure 
to appoint a legislative committee of five to select at least one little bit 
of beauty for a state park and with an appropriation large enough to pur- 
chase the spot that seemed to offer the most for the money. But after 
interviewing a number of the senators, he gave it up. It was like trying 
to kindle a campfire with wet wood. They could not catch the flame of 
his enthusiasm. He could not interest them in any bill that carried an 
appropriation. They talked economy. This, like all other general assem- 
blies is to be one of economy and in the end, we shall find as we have 
always found before that it will spend more money than any previous 
legislature and will waste enough to buy two or three state parks. 

The state spent $50,000,000 last year. Of this amount, $19,000,000 
was spent for education and $10,000,000 for good roads. That was fine 
and no one has or should have complaint to make. But it would not take 
$10,000,000, or even $10,000 a year to buy a tract of scenic beauty like 
the Backbone in Delaware county, or the caves in Jackson county, or 
Bixby park in Clayton county, a Wildcat den in Muscatine county, or 
the Palisades in Linn county, or Steamboat Rock in Hardin county, or the 
Balsam fir grove in Allamakee county, or Woodman's Hollow in Webster 
county, and to keep one or two men in each of them to prevent their 
further spoliation and to protect the fish and game within them. 

A year ago, Governor Clarke made a ringing address to this associa- 
tion in which he called attention to the deplorable loss of animate and 
inanimate beauty that once made the state so famous. He declared 
that there should be a voice going up and down the state, like John the 
Baptist of old, warning the people against the loss of that which every 
good citizen should hold dear and pleading with them to conserve the 
fine old forest trees, the wealth of blossoming shrubs, the great sheets of 
prairie flowers spread in splendor among the billowy grasses and the little 
lakes that made homes for the wild fowl and made some of the counties 
of Iowa as beautiful as the lake country in England which was made 
famous by a whole school of poets. 

That has been done. There have been, not one but many voices going 
up and down the state during the past year, some of them far sweeter 
and more persuasive than the voice of the prophet by the Jordan. The 
Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs has a sipecial division of natural 
scenery and a number of good women, such as Mrs. Whitely, Mrs. Mc- 



204 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Nider, Mrs. Ames, Mrs. Taylor, and Mrs. Sawyer, have done splendid 
work along the lines sugested by Governor Clarke last year. Women's 
clubs all over the state have taken up the work. Several of them have 
nature departments. In Cedar Rapids the nature department of the 
Woman's club is the biggest and most popular deparment of the Woman's 
club. And the same men, members of this society and others, have con- 
tinued to plead, as they have been pleading for many years, for the con- 
sei-vation of Iowa's wild life and beauty until I verily believe all this 
good missionary work has converted practically every thinking man and 
woman in the state, with the possible exception of the members of the 
present general assembly. 

Seriously, I believe that what is most needed now. is a voice to cry 
aloud to the legislature. Let him tell the senators and representatives 
what other states have done and are doing and plead with them to put 
Iowa where she belongs in the procession of progressive states. Let 
him dwell for a little while on the fact that corn and pork and dollars 
are great assets but that after all, they are only a means to aid the peo- 
ple to reach higher levels of culture and enjoyment. And then let him 
tell the legislature what several of our sister states are doing. Prac- 
tically, all of the states of the east have long had state and interstate 
parks. Many of the western states are awake to their opportunities and 
aware of their responsibilities. Minnesota has her magnificent Lake 
Itasca Park, Wisconsin her beautiful Glenn Park directly opposite the 
proposed national park at McGregor. Minnesota and Wisconsin have a 
famous interstate park at the Dalles of the Saint Croix and Wisconsin has 
made a park of her own at the Dalles of the Wisconsin, and has several 
other state parks. 

These are but a few instances of What other state legislatures are 
doing. It is time for the Iowa legislature to do something for Iowa. I 
sincerely hope that our legislative committee which is headed by Repre- 
sentative Horchem, will be able to induce the legislatures to make a start 
in this great work. A very small — ^^almost an infinitesimally small in- 
crease in the levy would be sufficient. 

Magnificent work has been done in placing the pro^position for a 
great national park at McGregor before the people of this and other 
states. For aid in this work, this association is much indebted to the 
Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs, and especially to the conservation 
department of the federation. Not only have the members of this de- 
partment given many addresses and written many articles regarding this 
park but they have helped to defray the expenses of similar work by 
other speakers and writers. 

W© hope that the national government will accept the recommenda- 
tion of the agent of the department of the interior and set aside 14,500 
acres of the sublimest scenery in Iowa and Wisconsin for a national 
park. If that is done the state ought to acquire some other strips of 
timber lands near by, especially some of the Oneota river valley. And if 
it is not done by the government, then Iowa, herself, ought to acquire 
this beautiful park and join with Wisconsin's Glenn Park in a great in- 
terstate park on both sides of the Mississippi. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 205 

The efforts of the state fish and game warden to conserve the wild life 
of the state by leasing thousands of acres of land adjacent to the 
streams and lakes, and endeavoring to restrict shooting on such areas is 
practical conservation work which all of us will commend. 

I am also heartily in sympathy with his efforts to have the state pur- 
chase tracts of timhered lands on the river bluffs and flood plains so that 
the public may have free access to the streams instead of being barred 
out as trespassers. I hope that the association give its cordial support to 
this movement. 

And I hope that some provision will be made, either by the addition 
of trained foresters to the warden's staff or in some similar way, to care 
for the forest coverings of such tracts and to prevent vandalism as well 
as to enforce the state fish and game laws. — Iowa Conservation, Vol. 1., 
No. 1, pp. 6-7. 



STATE PARKS AND PUBLIC WELFARE. 
By G. C. Morbeck. 

All normal persons crave some form of recreation, and require relaxa- 
tion from the more or less strenuous life they are living in these times. 
Most of them are interested to a greater or less extent in nature in one 
or several of her numerous manifestations. They enjoy the trees, the 
flowers, the hills and vales, beautiful scenery, animal life, the awe inspir- 
ing natural objects, as well as the minor interesting things to be ob- 
served in the great out-of-doors. Healthy recreation is a great asset to 
any community. We are living in an age when playgrounds are de- 
manded, not only for the young but for the mature as well. In the larger 
towns and cities play has a regular place in the curriculum, and is 
supervised by competent instructors. For older persons no form of 
organized public recreation is provided. 

A well developed system of state parks, well located, properly equipped 
and supervised, will supply this much desired need. We have in Iowa a 
large number of various sized tracts, generally wooded, which are well 
suited to park purposes. Most of them can be acquired at low prices at 
the present time. 

To bring these latent recreation grounds within the reach of the 
people of Iowa is a public duty. To safeguard the health and provide 
wholesome recreation for its citizens is of the utmost importance. Mil- 
lions of dollars are spent annually by the people of the country in seeking 
health, recreation and pleasure in the various natural beauty spots of the 
nation — the national parks, national monuments, national forests and 
other places of lesser importance. The interest in these government re- 
sorts is growing rapidly, as it well should. The wonders of nature here 
found are incomparable. All who can should behold them; having seen 
the giant trees, the great seas of granite, the roaring waterfall, the glis- 
tening glaciers, the gaping chasms, the spouting geysers and the numer- 
ous other unusual natural phenomena, one does not usually return; yet 
each year the lure of the wooded hills and the falling water is strong 



206 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

within us, and we yearn to get away from the worry and care of the 
busy life of the city, town or country. Why not then, so far as we can, 
bring the beauty spots of Iowa close to the people and provide places 
where annual pilgrimages may be made at slight expense, and thus draw 
thousands of people from their busy lives, for a few days or weeks, to 
the beautiful wooded hills and vales of their native state? 

Iowa was once forested to the extent of 20 per cent of her total area. 
At present about 7 per cent of her area is tree clad. The forests of the 
state lie along the streams for the most part, but in the east and north- 
east heavy timber also grew on the uplands. The proposed state parks 
are mostly in the wooded portions. A few in the north and northwest 
counties emibrace lakes with little or no timber adjacent. It is proposed 
to perpetuate a number of the more extensive and picturesque tracts 
of forest land, especially those containing other natural objects of inter- 
est, such as rocks, cliffs, caverns, hills, valleys and streams, areas of rare 
flowers, shrubs, trees, etc. It is greatly to be regretted that all the orig- 
inal forests are gone and only the remnants remain as a heritage to us. 
Under state management, however, those included within parks may be 
gradually restored to their former grandeur. 

It is in such places that it is proposed to establish recreation grounds 
for the people of the state. They are easy of access — yet have all the 
appurtenances of the wild woods and the silent places. Little improve- 
ment work should be necessary. The tracts should be leift as far as pos- 
sible in their natural condition. Camping places should be provided', 
and the necessary rules and regulations established to insure proper 
conduct. 

The areas already tentatively selected for park purposes, are well 
scattered, and persons living in any part of the state can reach one of 
them and get well settled in a day's time. During ihe summer season, 
when the parks will be most used, the highways are in good condition 
and camping parties traveling by automobiles can reach their favorite 
outing places in a comparatively short time and enjoy their stay to the 
utmost. 

State parks will also provide refuges for much of our rapidly vanish- 
ing wild life — flowers, birds, and animals. They will be ideal places 
in which to foster new species, especially of game birds and animals, 
since they will be amply protected at all times, and they may be the 
means of restocking the state with native and introduced birds and ani- 
mals, and thus revive a sport now almost extinct. 

Areas of historical importance should, by all means, be acquired for 
park purposes. Fortunately these tracts are mostly wooded, have much 
scenic beauty and contain natural objects of great interest in addition. 

Let us all boost for state parks, they are essential to our public 
welfare and should be established without delay. Let us follow the ex- 
ample of our neighbors to the north and east, and provide outing places 
and recreation grounds for the people of the state. Wisconsin has many 
state parks Oif large size, some of which are well developed for recrea- 
tion purposes. Minnesota has Itasca park, through Which has been 
built excellent highways making it readily accessible, and hence greatly 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 207 

enjoyed by thousands yearly. Michigan has its state forests, which, 
where possible, are made available for outing purposes. Let us have 
state owned recreation grounds in Iowa. We have made a start in the 
right direction, let the good work be carried through to its logical con- 
clusion, and Iowa will ultimately have a state park system of which it 
can well be proud. 



THE PLACE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION IN OUR MODERN CIVILI- 
ZATION. 

By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 

When I prepared this program, the above topic was selected for the 
purpose of placing emphasis on the great out of doors. Our modern 
civilization is so rapid that we almost forget the finer things of life. 
That there is real need of giving more attention to the great out of doors 
is apparent on every hand. The business man working all day in his 
office, store or factory needs the refreshing stimulus from nature. The 
farmer at the plough share and busy in the harvest field needs the 
recreation so necessary to invigorate his life. The woman of the city at 
the office desk or the toilsome saleswoman, who labors in selling goods 
over the counter, the busy housewife of the farm and city, all need the 
good they can get from the great out of doors. These people will be 
rejuvenated, if they can only spend a few days in some convenient place 
in woods and meadows. 

The glorious sunshine not darkened by the smoke of factory and mill, 
can only be had away from the city. The shade of the great oaks, elms, 
maples and basswoods is much more refreshing than the shade trees of 
the city, where the hot sun radiates from the paved streets. 

It seems to me the health of the community is of such paramount im- 
portance to the state and nation that something must be done for its 
citizens. The nation has wisely set aside large areas in the Rocky Moun- 
tains, the Pacific Coast, in Minnesota, the Appalacian and White moun- 
tains, as playgrounds for the American people and we owe much to the 
late Honorable John F. Lacy of Oskaloosa, who had the whole country 
at heart in providing for these national playgrounds. Major Lacy gave 
us far reaching plans in its bolder outline and left to his successors the 
plan to reach the smaller communities. Nearly all the larger cities have 
parks of varying size, a beginning in most cases, only has been made. 
We have now reached the stage in our civilization where these parks must 
be greatly augmented. Every county and city in the state must provide 
parks, where the daily toiler can find solace and comfort. The state 
must augment the work of the county and city and even the national gov- 
ernment can well afford to nationalize these parks as it is proposed to 
do in the vicinity of the Mississippi Valley National Park, and why not? 

We are now in the transitional stage in the affairs of our govern- 
ment. Witness, if you please, matters of importance connected with 
the war. Some matters which a year ago were thought to be purely a 
state matter, are now rightly considered to be a part of the affairs of 



208 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the government at Washington. If these things can be done in connec- 
tion with our war work, I believe there is every reason for doing this 
also in the case of recreation places, because these are indirectly con- 
nected with the health of every community. The health of a nation is a 
direct asset for the government. 

In our own state we have passed the pioneer stage of our develop- 
ment. Some of you can recall the strenuous labors of the father and 
mother. The pioneer had to work long hours to keep his family together 
and arrange for some of the comforts of life. Those of you of middle age 
can all look back with pardonable pride at the strenuous days of girlhood 
and boyhood. This pioneer work is done and it is for the present genera- 
tion to provide these places of recreation. The whole business is con- 
nected with civic pride and I am glad to note that every where in Iowa, 
the matter of looking after parks and streets is receiving more attention. 
More and more the different communities of the state pride themselves 
on keeping nicely kept lawns and streets. However, there is still room 
for improvement. The weeds of the roadside should be kept down. 

There is another phase to the subject which I want to call attention 
to, namely, the educational value, or let me say the cultural value. The 
form of culture as the botanist understands it, is full of inspiration to 
the investigator, the searcher after truth. The fields and meadows are 
filled with great possibilities. The Mexican cosmos adorns my yard as 
one of the really beautiful plants of cultivation. I have found in my ex- 
perience in the state of Iowa, that in recent years there has been much 
interest in the study of the wild plants and preserving them to posterity. 
In my boyhood days on a Wisconsin farm, the moccasin flower, shooting 
star, columbine, pasque flowers and many others were looked upon as 
weeds. Some of these plants are no longer found on the old farm. An 
appreciative soul can only enjoy these humble plants of the woodland and 
meadow. The little child that gathers these plants has a keen sense of 
culture, I think. 

A few years ago a very remarkable naturalist passed away. I suspect 
that this naturalist knew little about Latin or Greek. I am sure he 
must have known something about English and American classics, other- 
wise he could not have written such delightful books on glaciers and 
Yosemite. In his last book, "The Story of My Boyhood and Youth," he 
wrote: "From the top of a hill on the north side of Lake Mendota I 
gained a last wistful, lingering view of the beautiful university grounds 
and buildings where I had spent so many hungry, happy and hopeful days. 
There with streaming eyes I bade my blessed Alma Mater farewell. But, 
I was only leaving one university for another, the Wisconsin university 
for the university of wilderness." 

The wild and awful storms that thundered on the black headlands and 
craggy ruins of old Dunbar, where the sea and sky, the waves and 
clouds mingled together gave him inspiration. It was the beginning of 
that cultural training that made him a great naturalist. 

Muir's first view of the lovely valley left a deep impression on him. 
He says: "Looking eastward from the summit of the Pocheco Pass one 
shining morning, a landscape was displayed that after all of my wander- 
ings still appeared as the most beautiful I have ever beheld. At my feet 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 209 

lay the great central valley of California, level and wide, five hundred 
miles long, one rich furred garden." 

On the value of a study of trees, shrubs and flowers as a part of a 
cultural education, my good friend. Dr. Macbride, one of the nestors of 
this association, has well said: "You who have been effecting the classics 
know, of course, that our present use of the word is entirely a figux-e of 
speech. Culture, to start with, meant the care and development of a 
plant. This significance still lingers in agriculture, the cultivation of 
the field — that is, of what grows there — horticulture, the tillage of the 
hort-yard or orchard, as we say, and so on. Thousands of years ago 
men found that if they took a little care of a plant, gave it a good 
place on which to grow, with plenty of air and sunshine and water, the 
plant greatly changed, offered new characters, or at least new phases 
of the old; the smooth-leaved wild mustard of Europe, on cultivation, took 
on the form of cabbage, became a cabbage head in fact; the green, tough 
fruit of a Persian shrub became a peach; the sour ci-ab, an apple; the 
wild grain, wheat; and so on; all this thousands of years before men had 
ever written a word. Small brown men, as I think, away back yonder 
in the forgotten years, in the childhood of humanity, made wonderful 
discoveries; they discovered the culture of plants. So it happened that 
when, at last, men did begin to think and to write, the culture of plants 
had long been familiar as to you and to me. 

"As compared with the story of the plants, Cicero was a modern. He 
looked out upon a civilized world and, full of genius and wit and all ac- 
complishment as he was, it occured to him to compare the mental ex- 
periences of men with the history of the plant; and so the famous orator 
flashed all the mystery and the beauty of those natural, visible processes 
among the plants into the richness of one fine metaphor 'Culture animi 
philosophia est' — philosophy is the culture of the soul." 



PRESERVATION OF PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST IN IOWA. 
By G. Perle Wilson Schmidt. 

The importance of preserving places of historical interest seems as 
obviously necessary in our big rich commonwealth of Iowa as any place 
in the United States. But if we are to receive the necessary support for 
such a move, we have first the task of creating the feeling among the 
residents of the state the significance for such a movement. To make the 
people feel that we too have history vital to future development and 
coming generations if we are to maintain the same equilibrium and stable 
status of enthusiasm for their native state as the eastern states have 
done, this work must fall upon the shoulders of intelligent and enthusi- 
astic citizens in every locality in the state. 

Many people say, "You have no history in Iowa," and how hard it is 
sometimes for us to try to prove the fact that we in Iowa do have history, 
potent history, and that we are doing much more for the preservation 
of this history than any outsider realizes. How about our Floyd monu- 

14 



210 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

ment at Sioux City which commemorates the longest and one of the 
hardest expeditions the world has ever known? The Spirit Lake mas- 
sacre with its horror equals the massacres through which the white set- 
tlers of New York state and other eastern states passed. Some of these 
outstanding places have been marked, but these mark only the beginnings 
of properly preserved Iowa history. Plymouth Rock did not have 
history till the Pilgrims set foot upon it. Neither did Boston in the be- 
ginning. These two places may well be classed as the keystone of Amer- 
ican history. Why? Because this history has been preserved and its 
preservation has been kept constantly before the people throughout the 
country. 

It has been little more than one hundred years since actual preserva- 
tion of histoi'ical places was begun by some of the states which are so 
fond of pointing out this lack of state history to us. One hundred years 
ago Iowa had yet to make her history, and now she has a history com- 
parable to that of other states, and she has now but one thing to do to 
prove it; that is, to conserve and cherish these places with pride and 
credit to the soldiers of fortune, the pioneers who have made history for 
us. Let us hope our present generation may be fully alive to the fact that 
it is now or never that this work must be done. We must teach the 
younger generation to appreciate this history and the importance of 
preserving it and handing it on to future generations. 

In many instances places of historical interest to a given local com- 
munity have been lost, and I believe that an attempt should be made to- 
ward stimulating local preservation before more is lost. One of our 
historians has to my mind illustrated the cause for this neglect throughout 
the entire West by the following statements which may well apply to 
Iowa alone. He says that the West may well be likened to a busy 
housewife. It is early morning. She has fed her family and gotten the 
children off to school and is in the midst of her morning dishwashing 
when she hears a knock at the front door. Hastily she wipes her hands 
on the corner of her apron and without a glance in the mirror, rushes 
to the door to find friends from the east have arrived unannounced. Un- 
hesitatingly and whole-heartedly she welcomes the comers. She leaves 
her tasks planned for the day and prepares a feast of good things for 
the table. The richest cream, golden butter, and the best of fried chicken 
vie with each other to please these fastidious guests, nor is there any 
evidence of anyone partaking sparingly. Late in the afternoon as the 
tired woman closes the door upon the departing guests, she is amazed 
and wounded to hear: "So unrefined — such a lack of culture." 

The author of the above analyzes the statement thus: The West has 
been so busy attending to its own business of feeding the world and 
building up commercially that she has not acquired many of the so-called 
social refinements of life. But that time has now passed with the "Wild- 
ness of the prairies." Manufacture and business are now firmly estab- 
lished and Iowa can and must advance socially as well as economically. 
What better foundation can this advance rest upon than the preservation 
of places of historical interest. History is no longer the dead inanimate 
thing that those who seek only worldly wealth would have us think. 
History is the foundation of life itself. Without past history we should 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 211 

have no art, no music, no literature. Economics and politics are but 
the outgrowth of the past social organization of life. 

Plainly, indeed, it seems to me we of Iowa can well afford time and 
money to place before our coming generations visible evidence of our 
faith in those who bore and suffered the trials of conquering the untrod- 
den and untried problems of placing civilization in what is now the state 
of Iowa. 

Being a native daughter of Iowa and having been taught state patriot- 
ism through the recital of the struggle of pioneer days, I know of places 
individually I would like to see presei-ved by some sort of mark. Not 
long ago a friend who has grown up with the same sort of inspiration 
as I have, wrote to me asking what I thought of marking certain places 
on the farm of his childhood, places which have had an important part to 
play in local history of that community, (Bennington township, Black 
Hawk county). One of the places I will mention is a group of immense 
boulders one of which has a flat top perhaps ten or more feet in diameter, 
which stands on the crest of a hill. On account of its location, this 
place was a camping place for pioneers and settlers crossing the flat 
plains over the untried road of fortune and home finding. My reply was: 
By all means have that place marked — it may be half a mile from the road, 
but a flat plate imbedded in concrete and placed in the top of the rock, 
telling of the fact and mentioning names of those who camped there 
would create an interest in that place that the grandchildren and great 
grandchildren of those selfsame settlers will go to see. It will inspire 
within them something I am sure they never knew or thought of before, 
and that something will be a truer state patriotism as they begin to ask 
why it was done and read the names of their ancestors on that plate. 

Last year a friend of mine spent time in trying to excavate a mound 
near Nevada, Story county, but bad weather and frost prevented further 
investigation. The removal from the state of this person has precluded 
further investigation from that source unless others duly investigate. 
On our own state college campus, the one or two reliable remaining 
authorities tell me there are two places which can well be preserved; one 
is the old trail which crossed the prairie to Boone, another is the place 
near our college cemetery where the barbecue and picnic were held 
celebrating the giving of the grant of land for the Iowa State College. 

In and around Ames itself are several spots of local interest which I 
feel should be marked if we are ever to create an atmosphere of local 
history. One is the placing of a plate, either on the wall of the North- 
Western station or in the sidewalk, containing the authentic date of the 
arrival of the first passenger train through Ames. Hundreds of pas- 
sengers go through here every day, and why can't Ames, the center of 
so great an educational institution, help inspire thoughts of historical 
interest as well as thoughts of commercial activity? 

One cannot visit the state university without feeling the atmosphere 
of historical interest which permeates that place. The very fact of that 
beautiful old state capitol upon its grounds gives impetus to historical 
preservation. I am a believer in "History beginning at home," and my 
heart is rapt in methods of inspiring local preservation. In that spirit 
several hundred questionnaires have been mailed to pioneers and their 



212 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

descendants in the hope that we may accomplish something ultimately 
for Story county history, though the way seems long and hard and it may 
be many years before those who have been working faithfully the pa.st 
four years see the vision become a reality. 

Then here's to the pioneer so brave. 

To the pioneer with his will of iron strengtli 
Who traveled the road of unknown fate 

To the end of its weary length. 
Here's to the pioneer who grimly faced 

Grim stalking death by Indians, beasts, and the elements, 
O Pioneer ! We bow to you 

With hearts full of love and reverence. 



CONSERVING OUR BIRTHRIGHT. 
By Zellah M. Schermerhorn, Ph. D. 

In this age of specialization, all effort seems to have been directed 
toward the increase of efficiency. 

Everywhere you look efficiency is the one word posted and every- 
where you seek you find all effort devoted to acquiring greater and still 
greater efficiency. 

Manual training, economics, business courses have become an intrin- 
sic part of the curriculae of all our graded and high schools, our univer- 
sities and colleges. 

Our great leaders and teachers have recognized the fact that the mind 
of man longest retains the impressions and lessons of youth, and the 
lesson of greater efficiency has become the basis of our education. 

But there is one field which has been sadly neglected, and that field 
contains more powers for greater efficiency than all the others com- 
bined, — nature and nature studies. A field planted by God's own hand and 
given over to man's dominion. That field of bluff and crag, of trees and 
shrubs, of flowers and grass, of feathered, furred and finny creatures, all 
playing a specific part in the general plan of life, all having a direct 
bearing upon the past, present and future life of man. All our inherited 
birthright; all ours; not ours to destroy and exterminate, but to preserve 
and to use. 

Each unit of all creation has its own specific meaning, use and message, 
but we have not taken the trouble to interpret and thus to know and 
properly use our birthright. 

In the great out-doors there lies wonderful unwritten histories of the 
past, great assistance for the present, grave warnings for the future, and 
we pass them by. We do not think it worth while to gather knowledge 
of these things close at hand because we have never sought their lesson 
and their use. 

The naturalist, the botanist, the geologist, the ornithologist have been 
the butt of the rude humor of the ignorant for many long years and yet, 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 213 

from their patient struggle against great odds, have come some of the 
greatest blessings of our modern life. 

• True, we cannot all be naturalists or geologists, but we can learn from 
them much that would make each little flower, each bird and beast, 
each pebble at our feet, a companion and a friend. 

Bravely these men and women of understanding have gone on filling 
case after case in our museums, writing volume after volume, working 
and pleading for reservations of land, timber and water, until today, 
we are recognizing the fundamental truth of their arguments and the 
usefulness of their plans. 

There are very few people in America who have not some love for 
the great out-of-doors. There are very few who know anything about 
it and there are very few who do not listen eagerly when a tale of nature 
is told. Little children are most susceptible to nature's influence and 
because they are yet close to her and unmarred by worldly contact, their 
understanding is often superior to that of the adult. Once they know 
and understand nature's message, they become nature's protectors and 
communicants. They revel in their knowledge and its inspiration is con- 
structive. 

An instance is well worth reciting: 

Not long ago a lady was visiting the museum in the Iowa State Histor- 
ical Building. Four small ragged, dirty boys were likewise going from 
case to case. But as they went, they would inquire one of the other 
"Hey! what's that thing?" Invariably the answer came in true young 
American fashion, "Search me." The lady thinking to please these 
urchins of the streets, ventured to say "Hello, boys." Quickly the answer 
came, "Hello, lady. Say, what's that thing?" 

The thing in question was a specimen of Iowa's coral. The story of 
the coral and its buildings was told in answer to many eager questions 
and quaint comments. 

These five went from case to case, the lady answering as best she 
could the many questions, building in each little mind a love of the beau- 
tiful and understanding of much that they saw. 

At last they came to war relics and the lesson of destruction was 
taught. The boys were not as interested and enthusiasm lagged be- 
hind them, quick as a flash and by unanimous decision came this re- 
quest: "Say, lady, we don't care about these things; they're only to kill 
folks with anyway. Come upstairs and tell us some more 'bout what 
we can find outdoors; 'bout the rocks, the big elephants what lived so 
long ago, the Injuns and them things they used to hunt with. Come on, 
lady, won't yer?" And back to the other floor they went. 

For four hours they walked about and talked and childish faces 
gleamed with joy of knowledge of the great out-doors. When they parted 
at the door, one little fellow whose sparkling dark eyes looked out from 
a very dirty face, grasped her hand and said: "Lady! them's great. When 
summer comes I'm goin' t' hunt fer some of them things. Kin we come 
agin? Will you be here? Say, couldn't you take us some place and show 
us somethin' like they got shut up here?" 

Plans for future meetings were laid and four boys went happily on 
their way. As they went down the outside steps, one boy said, "Hey, 



214 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

kids, ain't nature great? Jist look at them big trees over there. Say I 
ain't never goin' to ruin nothin' more that God made. Are you?" 

Boys on a bright, vi^arm sunshiny afternoon, all thoughts of play bair- 
ished, no mischief in sight, inspired with love and understanding, 
happy, eager to impart their knowledge to other boys and wanting to 
come again! Was it worth the lady's effort? Would it be worth the 
state's effort to provide places in the great out-doors far such as these? 

If an afternoon with glass encased specimens means so much to our 
boys, how much more would a day in some forest reserve, along some 
river or lake shore, in some park set aside for their use mean to them? 

Some place set aside where our boys and girls may learn to love, to pro- 
tect, and to understand nature; a chance to gather knowledge to im- 
part to others; the beginning of an endless chain of understanding, ap- 
preciation and re-inforced efficiency; young minds, so busy with the 
greater, sweeter things that they have no time or inclination for lui;?- 
chief, no time for quarrels! 

Think you a young mind filled with love and understanding of nature 
will ever become a case of juvenile delinquincy? Think you a man or 
woman recognizing the beauty, the usefulness, the wonder and the 
power of nature will ever go far astray in the journey through life? 

In view of the great cataclysm of destruction just passed through, is 
it not well worth the state's effort, time and money to banish from the 
minds of our youth all cruelty, destructive tendencies and ignorance of 
nature and natural laws and create in their stead a love, an understanding 
and a constructive spirit? 

It is truly the state's duty and solemn obligation to her youth to set 
aside the historical and natural beauty spots, the green carpeted forest, 
the banks of streams and the shores of lakes, and to make of them 
trysting places of man, with the birds, and beasts and finny tribes. 

May the day speedily come when we will cease to make of the minds of 
our children mere cold storage warehouses for masses of information for 
which they have no use as they journey along life's way and no sense 
of their application if a use should develop. 

If we would truly conserve, it would be well to remember that 

"More servants wait on man 
Than he'll take notice of." 



NATIONAL PARK AND FORESTRY RESERVE RESOLUTIONS OF 
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 

In view of the fact that there is now a petition before congress from 
the people of Minnesota asking the setting aside of certain tracts of 
timiber land included in the Leech Lake Indian reservation in Minnesota, 
except such lands as have been allotted to the Indians in severalty, as a 
national park and forest reserve, for the purpose of conserving the tim- 
ber and conserving the water supply of the Mississippi river, and in view 
of the fact that other tracts of timber lands in the northern part of Min- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 215 

nes'Ota, Wisconsin and other states and territories in the union from 
which the timber lias been removed, which have reverted back to the 
government, should be set aside for forestry purposes that they may 
again be covered with forest growth to supply coming generations; there- 
fore, 

Resolved, That the Iowa Academy of Sciences hereby petitions con- 
gress, first, to segregate for park and forestry purposes, the said tract of 
land at the headwaters of the Mississippi and such other lands as con- 
gress may have control over in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin 
and other states, especially the Rocky mountain and Sierra regions, to 
the end that not only the timber supply of such states may be partially 
saved, but for holding the moisture in said regions, and also for the 
preservation of our wild game; second, we also favor the purchase of 
the land for a proposed Southern Appalachain National Park. 

Resolved, Third, That the government from the market public lands 
covered with timber, that the mature timber on the same be sold under 
the supervision 'of a technically trained forester; fourth. That we urge 
upon our delegates in congress the feasibility of concentrating the for- 
estry work; and urge that the government establish a rational system 
of forestry, especially with reference to our forest reserves; and fifth, 
That the supervision of these forest reserves be placed in charge of 
trained foresters, all under one responsible head, preferably the United 
States Department of Agriculture, to the end that a more rational system 
of forestry may be introduced in this country. 

L. H. Pammel, 
T. H. Macbride, 
H. A. Mueller, 

Committee. 



ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL FOREST RESERVES. 
Resolutions of the Academy of Sciences. 

The Iowa Academy of Sciences approves of President Roosevelt's 
message on forestry and irrigation, two great internal questions and 
heartily concurs in the statement that, "The fundamental idea of forestry 
is the perpetuation of forestry by use. Forest protection is not an end 
of itself; it is a means to increase and sustain the resources of our coun- 
try and the industries which depend upon them. The preservation of 
our forest is an imperative business necessity. We have come to see 
clearly that whatever destroys the forest except to make way for agri- 
culture threatens our well being." The usefulness of forest reserve has 
been demonstrated and to have them wisely and justly administered is 
therefore an imperative necessity. We heartily concur in the recom- 
mendations made by Secretary Hitchcock in his annual report that the 
forest reserves should be under the direction of trained foresters and that 
forestry, dealing as it does with a source produced by the soil, is an agri- 
cultural subject and should ultimately come under the head of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture if found practicable, because of the trained foresters 



216 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

in the depai'tment. This will be to the interests of the reserves and the 
ipeople who use them. We heartily commend the action of Secretary 
Hitchcock in creating the Division of Forestry of the Interior Department 
and appointing men who are specially fitted to look after the management 
of the reserves, until such time as the forestry work of the government 
shall be under one management, the United States Department of Agri- 
culture. 

In regard to the grazing of sheep in our reserves we are glad to note 
that a more enlightened policy shall prevail. We commend specially the 
statement of Mr. Gifford Pinchot, that "wise adjustment of the grazing 
question must be a compromise founded on a just consideration of all vari- 
ous interests concerned." The resources of the forests should be wisely 
used and all matters pertaining to the forest and tributary country should 
be considered on its merits. We approve most heartily, also, the recom- 
mendation of Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in regard to the proposed 
Appalachian reserve which is urged in order to protect the headwaters 
of important streams, to maintain an already greatly impaired supply of 
timber, and to promote a national recreation ground which, with the 
single exception of the Adirondacks, will be readily accessible to a larger 
number of people than any other forest region in the United States. 

Resolved, That the Academy of Sciences hereby petitions congress to 
take favorable action on the following recommendations: 

"1. To set aside for park and forestry p'arposes the timber tracts of 
the Leach Lake Indian Reservation and other lands at the headwaters of 
the Mississippi to protect the waters of this great stream which have 
greatly diminished during the summer months. Also to conserve the im- 
mature white pine and other timbers so useful in the arts and industries. 
The cutting of mature white pine should be permitted under restrictions 
laid down by the interior department. We favor also the setting apart 
for similar purposes such other lands as congress may control in the 
states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and other states, to the end that the timber 
supply of said states may be at least partially saved or restored, and that 
the forests on such ti'acts may serve to conserve the moisture and to pro- 
tect and preserve wild game in said regions. That congress take favor- 
able action on the recommendations of Secretary Hitchcock with refer- 
ence to the transfer of forestry work; since the concentration of forestry 
work is highly desirable to give stability and permanence to the manage- 
ment of the forest reserves. 

"2. The purchase of land by the government for a southern Appala- 
chian park in the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada regions. We favor 
therefore, the passage of House Bill No. 3128 introduced by H. Brownlow. 

"3. The withholding from the market by the government of public 
lands covered with timber and making provisions for the sale of the ma- 
ture timber thereon under the super-^asion of a technically trained forester. 

"4. The enactment of a law embodying the recommendation of Hon. 
Binger Herman, commissioner of the general land ofRce, in his last an- 
nual report 'that all public lands which are more valuable for forest uses 
than for other purposes shall be withdrawn from settlement, entry, sale or 
other disposition and be held for the protection and utilization of the 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 217 

timber thereon, in accordance with the provisions of the forest reserva- 
tion law.' 

"5. The adoption of the recommendation of the said commissioner of 
the general land office that the president of the United States be vested 
with the authority to reserve tracts of government land for national park 
purposes without approval or further action of congress. 

-"Resolved, That the Iowa delegation in congess is hereby respectfully 
requested to urge the enactment of laws embodying the recommendations 
herein contained." Signed, 

L. H. Pammel, Ames. 

B. Shimek, Iowa City. 

M. F. Arey, Cedar Falls. 
— Iowa Academy of Sciences, Vol. IX, p. 17-8. 



APPROVAL OF CONSERVATION. 
Resolutions of the Academy of Sciences. 

By virtue of the fact that there is now a general movement for the 
conservation of our natural resources, both by the national authorities 
and more recently by the state, therefore be it 

Resolved, That the Iowa Academy of Sciences in session hereby reaf- 
finn its indorsement of the genei'al movement toward the conservation of 
our forests, rivers, lakes and mineral resources by the national govern- 
ment. 

Resolved, That the academy wishes further, to voice its approval of the 
work already begun by our own state through its State Geological Survey 
and Conservation Board, and urge upon our state autliorities the de- 
sirability of confirming and extending the work already begun by these. — 
Iowa Academy of Sciences, Vol. XVII, p. 5. 



OBJECTS OF PARK AND FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 

The objects of the Iowa Park and Forestry Association are to create 
an interest in, and to encourage the establishment of parks; the beautify- 
ing of our cities; the better care of cemeteries; the planting of trees in 
country homes for aesthetic purposes as well as for the supply ot timber 
for commerce; the proper utilization of our remaining timber-lands; and 
to assist in the inauguration of rational methods of forest management 
and thus help in the protection of our wild game and song birds; the 
creation of one or more state parks in the vicinity of our lakes and 
streams; to encourage state and national legislation for rational forest- 
management, and for the creation of more forest reserves. — Article II, 
Iowa Park and Forestry Association, Fifth Annual Meeting, p. 1. 



218 PUBLIC PARKS- OF IOWA 

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SCENIC MATTERS. 

Resolutions of Iowa Conservation Association. 

Resolved: 1. That we most heartily endorse the plans for the estab- 
lishment of the Mississippi Valley National Park, substantially as recom- 
mended to the Department of the Interior by its representative, M. L. Dorr. 

2. That this association express its deep appreciation, to the property 
owners around McGregor who have so well preserved the natural scenery 
of the region. 

3. That the association appreciates the offer of Mrs. Martha Buell 
Mxinn to the Department of the Interior in November, 1916, to donate 
within two years, 150 acres of her property and hopes that in view of the 
intervention of the present war, Mrs. Munn's option will be extended a 
reasonable time after the close of the war. 

4. That the association empower its officers to negotiate with the 
Historical Society of Iowa or the Historical Department of Iowa for the 
preparation and publication of the available data regarding the Mississippi 
Valley National Park. 

5. That the association is in favor of the United States government 
establishing on both sides of the Mississippi river between St. Louis and 
St. Paul a series of parks and forest preserves on land not suitable for agri- 
cultural purposes for the conservation of our scenic and timber resources. 

6. That this association is in favor of the retention on our statute 
books of the present law giving protection for five years to quail and 
prairie chickens in this state. 

7. That we favor the prosecution of the campaign against the barberry 
and squirrel tail grass all over the state. 

8. That we appreciate the courtesy of the McGregor Citizens' Asso- 
ciation, the churches and all the citizens of McGregor in assisting the 
association toward making the McGregor meeting a success. 

9. That we appreciate the invitation of the citizens of Waukon, Post- 
ville, Elkader and Clermont to visit their communities and regret that 
this invitation cannot be accepted on account of the delay of the program 
by the inclemency of the weather. — Iowa Conservation Magazine, Vol. — , 
p. 28. 



WILD PLANTS AND 
BIRD LIFE 



Wild Plants and Bird Life— 

Bailey, B. H. 
Bennett, George . 
Burgess, Mrs. E. A. 
Clarke, Charles F. 
Conrad, Henry S. 
Chatty, R. I. 
Kellogg, Harrietta S. 
Stephens, T. C. 
Spurrell, J. A. 
Taylor, H. J. 



WILD PLANTS AND BIRD LIFE. 



THEIR PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION FOR THE BENEFIT 
OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. 



THE AQUATIC PHENOGAMS OF IOWA. 
By Robert Irvin Cratty, Naturalist. 

So large a proportion of our state is suitable for cultivation that our 
native flora is being rapidly swept away, and while most of the species 
may survive along roadsides, in hilly and stony localities, and along 
streams yet many which are local or rare must eventually disappear en- 
tirely. Most of the land too rolling for plowing is valuable for pasturage, 
and here the destruction of the indigenous flora is nearly ajs rapid, the 
introduced grasses, clovers and weeds appropriating the ground. While 
tihe marsh and aquatic plants have a better chance in the struggle for 
existence than the prairie flora, yet the draining of poods and marshes, 
thus greatly restricting the area frequented by such plants, is certain to 
sweep away some species which were form.erly quite common. Those 
who have lived many years in the state, now see the former haunts of 
muskrats and aquatic birds covered with waving ^rain, and while from 
an economic point of view this change may be desirable, yet to the natur 
alist it brings the conviction that if we are to secure a full representa- 
tion of what our flora was, there is no time to lose. 



PRESERVATION OF WILD PLANTS IN IOWA. 
By Mrs. H. J. Taylor. 

It is not so very long ago that children were sent to college, and even 
to school, in the hope that they might not have to work as hard as the 
parents. Education was thought to lift one above the plane of work to a 
life of ease. Those who went to college were on a separate plane. 

Today, education means larger vision, more tender heart, closer fel- 
lowship with all mankind. Today education and service go hand in hand 
and any school or college that is failing to fit its men and women for a 
life of service, is not fulfilling its mission. Education does not lift one 
away from his fellow men; it keeps him forever one of them, with a 
closer and clearer understanding of all their needs. Any education that 
is vital, broadens vision and holds us close to the pulse throib of humanity; 
helps us to see and do for others what they cannot see and do for them- 
selves. Education makes us seriously and thoughtfully minded toward the 



222 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

welfare of all mankind, not only for this generation, but also for the future 
generations. 

Unless our schools and colleges are making men and women of vision 
and service, our country will go to ruin socially and will become a barren 
waste naturally. This association concerns Itself primarily with the con- 
servation of nature's resources. We are consuming and wasting nature's 
bequests to us, and thus impoverishing the world for the coming genera- 
tions. We have already, beyond repair, impoverished the world in plant 
and animal life. It has not been wilfully done, just thoughtlessly and 
ignorantly. In some cases it has been done for financial gain. 

We are beginning to realize the waste and wontonness we have prac- 
ticed. The signal of conservation is being sounded all over our country. 
I am glad that Iowa, too, is sounding its bugle call. Because we are in 
danger of losing some plant species, our thought has been turned to the 
necessity of preserving wild plant life in Iowa. In the opening of new 
lands, the pioneer has struggled with, and faced many hardships in his 
race for existence. We owe a debt to those courageous souls, but they 
and their children would have been richer had they not left everything 
out of account that did not help to "make it pay." I went into Millette 
county, South Dakota, when the Rosebud agency was opened three or 
four years ago. I never saw more beautiful tvild flowers. In speaking 
to two homesteaders I said: "You will see that these beautiful prairie 
flowers are preserved?" The reply was: "We are not concerned about 
flowers, we want this land to make us a good living." The spirit is too 
prevalent over our prairies "to get more land to raise more corn to feed 
more hogs," and it's a treadmill round that is grinding out men and 
women of small caliber. 

The earth and the fullness thereof belong to man; not to destroy, rob, 
or impoverish, but to use and enjoy, remembering that the generations to 
follow will need the products of the soil, the trees of the forest, the fish 
in the streams, the birds for their song and beauty as well as economic 
value, and the inspiration of flowers and plant life. Nature stimulates 
the imagination of men and gives them visions beyond the reach of the 
natural eye and ear. Flowers, in the language of their color and frag- 
rance, express for us thoughts and feelings that lie too deep for words. 
The delicate tracery of ferns has given inspiration to lace makers and 
craftsmen whether artists or architects. It seems as if some great grove 
must have been the inspiration for the interior of the Milan cathedral. 
Flowers have given the suggestion for decorating column and ceilings. 
We cannot afford to ignore the inspiration of nature's inheritance. The 
plow is driving many a delicate flower to struggle in some fence corner. 
The homesteader and pioneer need to see that wealth does not lie alone 
in what the soil can be made to yield. The house that contains only ihe 
things absolutely to sustain life, will always remain a house, it will never 
become a home. 

The wild rose which grows on the uplands and lowlands all over this 
prairie state, is a beautiful and fit emblem for our state flower. It is 
delicate and modest, beautiful and blushing, yet so sturdy and strong 
that it can scarcely be uprooted. But not all plants have the range of 
soil and climate of the wild rose. The more delicate plants have their 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 223 

particular haunts and will not thrive elsewhere. Many of these, from 
ruthless plucM'ng are becoming rare, and in some ca,ses, extinct in their 
localities. I was one of a small group that went out to gather trailing 
arbutus — that sweetest harbinger of early spring. It was in western Wis- 
consin, more than 30 years ago. Pushing aside the snow, we picked every 
flower we saw — ^no, we didn't pick the flowers, we pulled them up, root and 
all and Game home with baskets filled. We called it a glorious day. It 
does not look so glorious now. In those Wisconsin woods, where once 
the ai'butus was abundant there is scarcely a blossom to be found. Con- 
servation had not sounded its note of warning. 

Iowa has rather a wide range of flora. The wooded section along the 
Missisisippi river has the characteristics of flora of the eastern states. On 
the bluffs about Sioux City, the beautiful, showy manzalia is found. This 
is, so far as I know, the extreme limit of this flower. The East and West 
seem to clasp hands over Iowa. Because of this very fact, many of our 
species do not grow in abundance and will need the more care to pre- 
serve them. 

The purple-blue hepatica is one of our delicate flowers threatened with 
extinction. The same is true of the trembling anemone. I have seen 
nothing more beautiful in the vicinity of Sioux City than a patch — more 
than 100 feet square — of snowy bloodroot. Year after year we go out to 
let this wonderful garden say to us what it will. Rarely does anyone pick 
a flower. Such delicate purity and beauty speaks to the heart as not even 
the poet can. Abundant as the bloodroot is, there are localities where its 
life lis threatened. There are places about Sioux City where bloodroot, 
diacentra, columbine, and jack-in-the-pulpit were abundant twenty-live 
years ago and today there is scarcely a trace of them to he found. This 
due to thoughtless, wanton plucking. Children pick all they can carry. 
In a few hours they are withered and thrown out. Would the loss from 
our roadsides and hills, of the purple and white aster, the bearded tongue, 
the butterfly weed, the fringed and closed gentians, not rob us of a lan- 
guage that speaks without words or sounds, to the heart and mind? 
Flowers express what lies too deep in life for expression. In Japan the 
lotus flower is seen on every temple altar. Made of gold or silver paper, 
it is carried in every funeral procession, a symbol of the immortality of 
the soul. 

Botany pupils are learning to know flowers in their own haunts without 
uprooting them for herbariums. Many flowers that grow in abundance are 
not at all injured by moderate picking, but too often we pull up the whole 
clump and do not stop so long as there is a flower in sight. The hepatica, 
diacentra, spring beauty, and bloodroot growing in moist woodlands and 
hillsides are easily uprooted. They are among our vanishing flowers and 
should not be disturbed. The same is true of the American columbine. 
It has to scatter many seed to insure propagation. The jack-in-the-pulpit 
is a northern representative of a large family of tropical plants. Two 
years ago a class of school children, under the guidance of teachers up- 
rooted 410 jack-in-the-pulpits in New York botanical gardens in a small 
area. They were taken and replanted. It is necessary that our teachers 
be warned and trained against unnecessary destruction. Ruthless pick- 
ing of almost any species will in the end prove disastrous. 



224 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The attention of the public is slowly being drawn to this wanton de- 
struction of wild life; it must be followed by education. Some of our 
western states are encouraging children to raise wild flowers in home and 
school gardens, to gather the seed and sow it again in woodland, marsh 
or meadow, to increase declining species. 

It is time we were getting a vision of what this country will be ro*)bed 
O'f — its natural resources, plant and animal life. It is not enough that we 
cease our wanton destruction, we need to replenish the earth. May Iowa 
become a sanctuary where her wild plant life is secure. — Iowa Forestry 
and Conservation Association, Report 1914-15, pp. 75-9. 



RELATION OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE PRESERVATION OF 
WILD PLANTS. 

By Henry S. Conard. 

Those of us who live in temperate climes have a natural heritage we 
would do well to appreciate. That heritage is the world of wild flowers 
that brighten the vivid green backgrounds of our woods, thickets, and 
fields. We are too apt to think that the greatest beauty of the plant 
world has been lavished upon the unhealthy tropics. It is true that 
many of the most gorgeous flowers of our gardens and greenhouses are of 
tropical or subtroipical origin — the begonias, cannas, geraniums, and the 
most exquisite orchids. Travelers go into raptures over the tropical 
vegetation. But notice that it is the vegetation that they speak of, not 
the flowers. They do not tell of the endless fields of verdant grain and 
grass, flecked with cloud shadows, and billowy with a passing breeze. 
Nor do they tell of miles of brilliant colored flowers lining the highways 
and river bottoms. This is the luxuriance that they dwell upon — the 
huge leaves, the masses of foliage, the dense jungle of trees and shrubs 
and vines. Is not the botanist who goes to Florida or Southern California 
bitterly disappointed to find that south of Virginia there is no grass, and 
that the hills round about Los Angeles are beset with bayonet-like yuccas 
and spiny cacti? 

No, the tropical forest, like the dark coniferous timber of our mild 
northwest, is too dense to permit of any great amount of bloom. Many of 
the trees and vines of the tropics have showy flowers, and bear them in 
great profusion — the poincianas, the allamandas, etc. — but conditions are 
so stimulating to plant life that a host of species of trees, shrubs, vines, 
and herbs are crowding each other for room. These forests frequently 
contain over fifty species of trees. The novice in such a wood has dif- 
ficulty in finding two trees of the same kind; they seem to be all different 
This is the usual condition in the tropics. It is thus quite impossible to 
find any great continuity of color, other than the dark and shiny green of 
thick and leathery leaves, whose polished surfaces reflect the sun like 
bits of metal. 

No, my friends, the glory of an earth covered with unbroken verdure, 
and adorned with acres and miles of brilliant flowers is given only for 




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PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 225 

the delectation of the dwellers in the temperate zones. It was in tem- 
perate England that Wordsworth saw his host of dancing daffodils, and 
Burns his daisy. And that portion of Japan where landscape art has its 
apotheosis is warm temperate, not subtropical. 

Our whole Atlantic seashore is gilded in autumn with the massive heads 
of the evergreen goldenrod (Solidago semperviirensj right out to the up- 
per reaches of the waves in storm. The salt marshes are decked all sum- 
mer with pink and white hibiscuses and starry sabbatias. The meadows of 
eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New England are brilliant with 
dandelions in May, while the barren hillsides are carpeted with acres of 
mountain pink. Then comes the golden covering of buttercups, then 
the gold and silver daisies, and in summer the lace-like flea-banes and wild 
carrots. And when autumn spreads her loom over the landscape, her 
tapestry marks out the rivers with miles of yellow cereopsis, the old fields 
with a wealth of goldenrods and asters, joe-pye weed, and sumach ber- 
ries, and the creeks and hills crimson and gold maples and hickories, 
oaks and tulip trees. 

Not less wonderful, but more so, is the course of Flora's seasonal dis- 
play in Iowa. Vei*y coy that goddess is with us in spring. She blushes 
faintly with the soft maples, and then retreats while brusque Jack-frost 
puts on another scene or two. But suddenly in May she doffs her modesty, 
and shows herself in all her graceful curves and living color. 

Nowhere, I ween, is greater floral beauty displayed than on the hills 
and prairies of Iowa, unless it be perhaps in the short growing season of 
the alpine meadow, where spring and summer and autumn are crowded 
into a period of six or eight weeks. Have you stood on an eminence 
overlooking a river valley in mid-May, when the oak leaves are as big as 
squirrel ears? There is color and texture and mass and extent tliat de- 
mand the pen of a Ruskin or the brush of a Turner. Below you on the 
river bottom are whole acres of dog-tooth violets, spring beauties and 
bluebells. Back on the slopes the wild crab is dotting or covering the 
banks with its glow of pink, and exhaling its most exquisite odors on the 
breeze, and offering food and home to every busy bee or loaflng drone. 
Does anyone believe that the cherry trees of Japan are more lovely? Im- 
possible. I have seen a solitary tree of Pyrus coronarius on a Pennsyl- 
vania hillside, and a glorious thing it is, both to sight and scent. But 
Pyrus ioensis is its equal, and the meanest draw may be adorned with 
dozens of them. Then while the first pink petals are fluttering from the 
failing crab blossoms, the wild hawthorns sipread great sheets and balls 
of snowy bloom, while all beneath, the lavender phlox displays its num 
berless tufts of airy blossoms. 

The traveler on the railroad sees no more dazzling sight along the 
right-of-way than the miles of gaillardia, Oenothera, and callirhoe in east- 
ern Kansas, the grindelias and sunflowers of Nebraska, the gorgeous 
spiderworts, pink, blue or white, the big anemones, and the pink phloxes 
of Iowa. And then in late summer we have that wonderful burst of gold 
along the railways and roadsides and rivers which once made these vast 
prairies a marvel of brightness. Our coreopsis, helianthus species, 
heleniums, rudljeckias. lepachys, heliopsis and liatris, our massive golden 
rods and misty asters are typical of the lavish health and vigor, freedom. 



226 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

purity and joy of Iowa life at its best. Has the Iowa community great or 
small, any interest in all this? And should it have any? 

Have we any interest? Well, yes, a little. We all like to gather arm- 
loads of flowers. The children delight in them. And in my home town 
of Grinnell there is a pretty custom of keeping a big pail or crock of 
autumn flowers on the front porch, enjoyed alike by housemates and by 
passers-by. The autumn flowers keep well and are admirably adapted for 
this purpose. But "trade's unfeeling train usurp the land and dispossess" 
the wild flowers. There is not within twenty miles of Grinnell an inch of 
ground uncultivated or untouched by men or stock. The result is that 
the native prairie flora has almost disappeared. Once the ground is 
cropped, the old wild plants never get hold again. Even the railroad 
banks are mowed and burned during the summer, and the roadsides are 
mostly trimmed. Two small parcels of ground a mile from tow^n, too dry 
and rough for cultivation, have a fair showing of native plants, but these 
are usually mowed in August. Weeds and waste places we still have, it is 
true, but they are all like ourselves, immigrants from Europe. Not one 
of our splendid native plants even offers to become a weed. They give 
up the struggle at once. Indeed so reduced is the native vegetation here- 
abouts, that Grinnell College was compelled perforce to establish a small 
botanic garden, where at least a specimen plant of the native species can 
be had for study and acquaintance. We hope and long for the day when 
our facilities in this line can be really adequate. 

Now many of our citizens would admit that the obliteration of the na- 
tive flora is regrettable. And manj'^ enjoy and admire our little botanic 
garden. But no individual could be expected to set aside a portion of 
his farm as a public wild flower garden. The wild garden and park can 
never be, except as a community project. But so far as I am aware, no 
one has ever thought out loud proposing such a public property. Of 
course, the college has often thought of it, and desired it. And mean- 
while, the wild plants are practically gone. If there exists any com- 
munity interest, it is merely a spark which might, however, be fanned 
into an effectual flame. 

But should we really have a community interest in this matter? In 
considering such a question, it must first be remembered that whatsoever 
benefits the individuals of the community is a commxinity interest. Many 
individual affairs of quite personal nature are fostered by community ac- 
tion and interest. A community may by concerted action make or un- 
make a locail creamery or canning factory or grain elevator company. 
And yet, these activities are apparently plain business propositions, for 
the profit of the owners or stockholders. But because they benefit the 
community and are dependent on the good will and co-operation of the 
community, the community takes concerted action to maintain them. 
Now if this community interest is necessary to maintain businesses which 
are in themselves financially profitable, much more must the community 
maintain those interests which it needs but which do not bring in a return 
in money. Generally speaking, then, interests may be monetary or non- 
paying. In the latter class are the public service necessities, such as 
water supply, sewage system, and garbage disposal, the means of public 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 227 

education in science and art, such as schools, libraries, museums, and 
provision for public recreation, such as halls for meetings, lectures, music, 
parks and playgrounds. 

The native vegetation of Iowa, or of any other region, is alone fitted 
for the fulfilling of several of these public needs. We have purposely 
dwelt at length on the beauty of our native flora. Trees and wild flowers 
furnish educational material of inestimable value. Their aesthetic sig- 
nificance cannot be measured. It is an indispensable element of human 
culture. For recreation, every wood, where picnics and like gatherings 
can be held, is where individuals or families may get out into God's out- 
of-doors. This need is acknowledged in big cities. It is just as real in 
every small Iowa town. But in no such town is it provided. A recent 
bequest from a large minded citizen gives Grinnell a prospect of a park 
which will meet the purposes of playground. But we, like all other com- 
munities of similar size or smaller, still need tihe larger tract, where peo- 
pe can really get back to nature, and cook a meal over a campfire, and 
gather flowers to their hearts content. These aesthetic and recreational 
necessities are real, they are communal, and can only be provided by com- 
munity effort. This is the point which I most desire to make. 

I confess to very little interest in calculations of the increased value 
oif real estate resulting from public improvements, I am still less interested 
in the boom to the general business of the community. But both'factors 
are very real. Property values and general business are wholly dependent 
upon the presence of people — people with taste, and with high desires. 
There is no douibt whatever that those communities which provide them- 
selves with modern conveniences are preferred by all kinds of people 
when choosing a home. The more a community has oi the higher values 
of life, the better it is liked, the more it is sought out. And this means 
business, even though I would shrink from suggesting that art galleries 
and symphony orchestras, or parks and playgrounds really pay. 

But beside this, I am more and more impressed with the possible im- 
portance of our native flora as commercial material for nurserymen, hor- 
ticulturists, and florists. The Iowa crabapple, wonderfully beautiful in 
its wild state, has already given us the Bechtel crab, whose double rose- 
like flowers defy description. Is there its equal on the face of the earth? 
We have also the Soulard crab, a derivative of Pyrus ioensis. Just last 
fall there came into notice near Grinnell another crab of the ioensis type, 
but much superior to the wild form, and worthy of a place in gardens and 
orchards for its large, yellow,. and meaty fruits. Evidently our wild crab 
should be carefully preserved and studied, and its possibilities developed. 

The native wild plum seems to have already reached its limit of per- 
fection. But one should never cease to look for still greater improvement 
in the future. May not the wild gooseberries, the haws, the shad bushes, 
the grapes yet prove valuable sources of hardy and productive fruits? 

The observations of the past few years have satisfied me that in many 
of our wild flowers we have material for improvement and development 
well worth our care. Phlox divaricata has already yielded an important 
variety, and a series of very promising hybrids. Why might not it, or 
the even commoner Phlox pilosa become as useful to man as the better 
known paniculata phloxes or P. drummondii? 



228 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

In the Grinnell College botanical garden we have tried all the species 
we could get of asters and goldenrods, rosin weeds, sunflowers, rudbeckias, 
and the like. I have also sent specimens east for experimentation. Gen- 
erally speaking, the prairie flowers are not a success in the east, owing to 
excess of moisture and deficiency of light. They grow tall and spindling 
and easily fall over. But that simply means that we need to develop dwarf 
stock types suitable for that climate. 

Some of our plants are already quite ideal for cultivation. Heliopsis is 
a most satisfactory garden plant, and is today quite equal to the calendula 
which has been cultivated and selected for hundreds of years. Rudbeckia 
subtomentosa is one of the most splendid objects in our gardens. It 
grows most vigorously, has no enemies, makes a very shapely tussock of 
stalks, is easily propagated but does not spread about. Only a very severe 
drought dulls its beauty. A single spray of this plant in full bloom is a 
very showy object. It ought to be widely cultivated. Lepachys pimata 
behaves most admirably in cultivation. It forms a neat compact clump 
of roots, from which spring a lar^e number of slender stalks, each bear- 
ing several of its airy negligee heads. There is nothing among the yel- 
low flowers more neat and airy and altogether wild and modest in ap- 
pearance. This plant already appears in many slight variations. It is 
just waiting for the hand of the plant-breeder. Helianthus grosse-ser- 
ratu^ is another plant which exists in several slightly different forms, 
waiting for careful training and selection. 

Our native helenium is second to none of its relatives, either in natural 
beauty, luxuriance of bloom, size, color, habit of growth, or ease of 
propagation. Two eastern species are in gardens — why not ours too? 

And so, one might go on to discuss a host of native plants that will 
some day be valued at home, and will doubtless be recognized as great 
treasures by flower lovers everywhere. It would be a real calamity for 
these species to be obliterated, or reduced to insignificance. 

By way of preserving the native flora and beautifying the countryside, 
it has been suggested that more discrimination be used in the trimming 
and cleaning up of our roadsides. Let alone the gorgeous beds of na- 
tive flowers, and even the occasional tufts of wild plum and crab apple. 
Cut off only the foreign and unsightly weeds. This plan is admirable if 
practicable. But I see vei-y little hope of carrying it out until every farm 
laborer is both artist and botanist, or until all our roadsides are cared 
for by landscape architects. 

Much might be done by private effort. Use the native flora in your 
garden. I find it splendid. On large estates in Iowa, if we are to have 
such, let the landscaping include a proper share of natural vegetation. 
Why import from the ends of the earth, and copy the decorations of other 
regions? Let us have a prairie art, our own in style and in material. 
Then allow the public to come in and enjoy your great estate. If pri- 
vately developed estates, must be closed to all the poorer flower-loving 
neighbors, as they usually are in the East, then may Iowa be spared 
mch selfishness. Rather let every schoolhouse become a social center. 
There let art, literature, and miusic flourish indoors, and let landscape art 
befitting the place flourish outside. Couldn't we afford an acre of land 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 229 

around each school, devoted to trees, shrubbery, and wild flowers? These 
to be our estates and places of ease and culture and beauty. 

And so, in the end, I can see nothing for it but community enterprise 
and public ownership. We must work for state and national wild flower 
preserves, and for town and district parks and outing grounds, just as we 
advocate public schools, libraries, and churches, and for the same reasons 
—Iowa Conservation, Vol. I, No. 1, pp. 8-10. 



IOWA'S NATIVE PLANT LIFE. 
By Mrs. E. A. Burgess. 

The preservation of wild flowers and plants may seem unimportant to 
those in whom an interest in nature has not been awakened, or whose 
interest is limited to nature merely as the provider of practical human 
wants. The same observation was true at first of the birds and trees, but 
the public has now become thoroughly aroused to the necessity of their 
preservation, if upon economic grounds only. The prospect of the ex- 
termination of many of our choicest flowers ond plants is not apprehended 
by the public generally, but every observer and lover of wild plant life 
•foresees this result unless individual and collective efforts shall be earn- 
estly directed toward their conservation. 

To preserve trees as one of the great natural resources of the country, 
as well as for their great aesthetic value, national, state, and private 
forestry organizations have been formed which have already developed an 
active public opinion on this subject, and which have been instrumental in 
securing the enactment of laws with respect to the cutting, destroying, 
and planting of forest trees, and making it a misdemeanor, punishable by 
fine or imprisonment, or both, to destroy trees under certain conditions. 
Likewise, Audubon societies, organized for the protection of song and 
game birds, have created a strong public sentiment against the wanton 
killing of birds for their plumage or for sport. Much instructive literature 
has been distributed by the national government covering bird and forest 
preiservation. According to a bulletin issued in the fall of 1912, ninety-five 
national reservations for the protection of wild life had been established 
by executive order during the preceding twelve years. There are, also, 
a number of national tree preserves. But I do not find any data indi- 
cating that the national government is doing any work or carrying on any 
campaign against the extermination of the small plant life of the country. 
I know of no government bulletin bearing directly on this subject. That 
the general public is still indifferent to the subject and does not realize 
its importance, is indicated by the dearth of literature bearing on the 
question. 

Are the familiar wild flowers and plants vanishing in any appreciable 
degree, or is the prospect of their greater scarcity or extinction so im- 
minent as to give occasion for alarm? An Iowa authority, Mr. Frank C. 
Pellett, of Atlantic, gives it as his opinion that in twenty-flve years many 
of the "beautiful blooming things of nature" will become extinct unless 



230 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

something is done to preserve them; that the limited areas left for flower 
growth and propagation, together with the increasing demand for blos- 
soms, will in a short time result in their destruction unless the public 
becomes actively interested in their protection. That the necessity for 
action in this regard exists is evidenced 'by the recent formation of a 
national association called the "Wild Flower Preservation Society of 
Amierica," with headquarters at the New York Botanical Garden. Of the 
nine pamphlets ipublished by this society calling attention to as many 
flowers that need special protection, six are native to Iowa, jack-in-the- 
pulpit, bird's foot violet, pink moccasin flower, wild columbine, wild pink, 
and spring beauty. From an article written in 191.3 by Mr. Pellett, I no- 
ticed that a society for the preservation of wald flowers was being organ- 
ized in Iowa. I addressed a letter of inquiry to this society, but received 
no acknowledgment, and, therefore, cannot furnish any information as 
to the form of the organization, its progress or methods. The framework 
of this organization might possibly be utilized for work throughout the 
state, as suggested later on in this paper. 

There is probably no wild flower in Iowa that is in immediate danger 
of complete extermination, but many flowers have quite disappeared from 
roadside places, and from the range of drives or tramps out of our cities 
and towns. This wanton destruction is not limited to the country, but 
extends to public and private parks. The reasonable picking of wild 
flowers in sparsely settled communities is not noticeably detrimental, but 
every part of Iowa is now well settled. The great mischief is that no 
discrimination is applied respecting the habits of the plant, and no con- 
sideration is given to its preservation or the rights and enjoyment of fu- 
ture generations. To such as are unable to go where some of the most 
beautiful flowers grow, several blossoms will afford as much satisfaction 
as an armful. Most of the flowers that are in danger of extinction are 
unsuitable for house decoration, because they are so delicate that they 
fade too quickly. The coarser flowers, such as the daisy, black-eyed susan, 
meadow rue, Queen Anne's lace, aster, and goldenrod, all seem so able to 
shift fior themselves that reasonable picking would not greatly endanger 
their existence, and they are much better adapted to decoration than the 
delicate varieties. When we recall that picking and distributing bouquets 
of wild daisies, at the suggestion of Jacob Riis, resulted in organizing the 
New York settlement work, we can readily appreciate how good may re- 
sult from the intelligent use of wild flowers through their subtle appeal to 
the finer human sensibilities. It is the spirit of vandalism in the Amer- 
ican people that is blameable, and that must be controlled. We frequent- 
ly see people returning from the wood or meadows with arms and 
baskets full of dutchman's breeches, columbines, violets, bearded tongue, 
and ferns, only to throw them away when reaching home. Such maraud- 
ers are not content until they have picked everything in sight. Every 
sipring the hills about our cities are dotted with children picking all the 
pasque flowers they can carry, and for the love of picking them only. 
Every normal person loves flowers, but only a comparatively few truly 
and iscientiflcally appreciate them. Much can be done to help the people 
to more fully understand and appreciate the habits, beauty, and influence 
of flowers by discouraging the careless and unthinking picking of them. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 231 

Children would not damage and kill the wild flower plants if they were 
properly impressed by those having tliem in charge, that carelessly pull- 
ing a flower dislodges or exposes the root, and often destroys the whole 
plant; that there is danger that the bloodroot, dutchman's breeches, ferns, 
water lilies, and miany others of our beautiful native plants will become 
extinct from such conduct; that the butterfly weed, which blooms so bril- 
liantly in August, is in peril from the fact that, unlike other members of 
the milkweed family, it is much pleasanter to pick than the more juicy 
kinds; and that the loss of a single flower often prevents the sowing of 
hundreds of others, as in the case of the columbine which is so easily de- 
stroyed by heedless picking, because it is one of the variety of plants 
which must distribute many seeds to insure continuing propagation. If 
such facts were brought to the attention of the children and grown-ups, 
they would soon learn to consider the flowers and would enjoy them more 
by the exercise of a little intelligent denial than by all the careless pick- 
ing and slaughter without any object in view, and a sense of love, tender- 
ness, and responsibility for their protection would be developed. The 
appeal must be made to save the beautiful plant life that providence has 
placed about us to brighten and give variety and inspiration to humau 
existence; to inculcate a feeling of reverence for the beautiful things in 
nature because of the pleasure they give and their reflex influence on the 
finer human sensibilities; and the desolation of life if we had to do with- 
out the presence and lovely fellowship of plant life. 

"If I do not pick the flowers some one else will," is a common expres- 
sion. That, in a measure, is probably true. But by refraining yourself, 
and striving to teach others likewise, you will at least have done your 
part toward giving the plant a. chance to live and produce seed, and do 
its work in the world. The failure then will not be yours. 

As the destructive spirit involved in careless picking is the prevailing 
cause for the increasing scarcity of many plants, the manifest need for 
the preservation of wild plant life, as in other lines of similar work, is 
education — the development of favorable public opinion. Children are 
especially susceptible to such instruction, and they might be reached 
through the public schools. Arbor day has had a wide and wholesome in- 
fluence in awakening the American people to the necessity of conserving 
our forests. 

The observance of Arbor day affords an excellent opportunity to arouse 
in children a desire to know more about the trees, flowers and animals— 
to take care of them and to care more about them. The spirit and vrork 
of Arbor day should not be limited to a single day annually; it should be 
carried through the year. To continue the interest and instruction every 
school should have its garden. Even if the school ground is so small that 
most of it be used for playground purposes, still a corner may be found 
somewhere for a wild flower bed. The boundaries may be outlined by 
hedges made of native shrubs. The care and growth of the flowers will 
furnish many an interesting and inspiring lesson. The country school 
grounds, of course, present greater opportunities, and unlimited pos- 
sibilities along this line will be afforded by the coming community rural 
school, if only proper provision is made for the work in laying out the 
school grounds. By thus fostering the love of nature and natural beauty, 



232 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

an interest will be awakened in general civic improvement, and the whole 
country and city landscape will be beautified by the movement. The 
beauty of the homes, school gi^ounds, roadsides, and public places of the 
future rests with the children of today and tomorrow. They, as chil- 
dren, should be made an ally of the community in all public betterment. 
It is not necessary in planting and preserving wild flowers and shrubs to 
rob either nature or the public, as nearly eveiT kind of wild flower one 
would care to grow is already cultivated. In many instances nurserymen 
can furnish plants cheaper than they can be collected in their wild state, 
and in most casfes they can supply varieties that have been exterminated 
in any given locality, or that never grew there. But the important thing 
is that the nurserymen pix)'pagate the plants. Too much enthusiasm in 
the study of nature work sometimes results in the extermination of entire 
plant colonies, as was the case with some New York teachers and children 
who were found to have uprooted four hundred and ten jack-in-the-pulpits 
in a small area in the New York Botanical Garden for the purpose of 
study. So great was the destruction in New York state tliat certain wild 
flowers were eliminated from the list of botanical supplies in the New 
York public schools, among them trailing arbutus, wild columbine, fringed 
gentian, hepatica, Indian turnip, moccasin flower, wake robin, and wild 
orchid, and cultivated plants were substituted for wild ferns, Solomon's 
seal, wild geranium, and others. 

Instead of bringing the plants and blossoms into the school room for 
demonstration, excursions might be made to the fields and woods one 
school day in each seasonable' month for the purpose of studying the 
plants in their wild state. In this way the children would develop an in- 
terest in plant life, and would learn to really know and love wild flowers, 
which is possible to those only who know the flowers in their natural sur- 
roundings, and at the same time the outing would be invigorating to both 
teachers and pupils. It is self-evident that the nature of every animal, the 
habits and beauty of every bird, butterfly, and flower can be seen and 
studied to the best advantage under natural conditions. Those who 
make a practice of studying plants where they grow, acquire that pro- 
found knowledge and insight which distinguish the scientist from the 
amateur. Such study tramps should, of course, be conducted by persons 
competent to instruct the children as to the structure and nature of 
plants, and the essential principles of their conservation. 

Interest mig^t be aroused in school children through competition by a 
series of essays bearing on the various phases of the subject of plant life, 
for which recognition in the form of honors or prizes should be given. 
The public may be interested and aroused to a conception of the im- 
portance of preserving and restoring natural beauty by lectures illustrated 
with plain or colored lantern slides, by publicity and the distribution of 
literature, iby articles in newspapers and magazines, through the activity 
of women's clubs, mothers' meetings, boards of education, church decora- 
tion committees, village improvement societies, and such other local 
bodies as are in any way interested in the betterment of local conditions. 
Moderate funds, would of course, be necessary to carry on the work of 
providing and distributing literature, the raising of which would have to 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 233 

be worked out by each community in its own way, in the absence of any 
power to levy taxes for such purposes. 

In some states there are laws for the protection of certain plants where 
the danger of extermination has awakened the public to a realization of 
the situation. Something has already been done to preserve and protect 
plant life in public parks and presei-ves by some of the states. The 
proper authorities in Iowa have power to adopt and enforce regulations 
forbidding the destruction of plant life in public places. But legal re 
strictions of themselves are only feebly educational, and do not effectively 
furnish the desired protection. 

Too often legal prohibitions seem only to serve to call attention to the 
fact that certain plants are rare or beautiful to crude or mischievous per- 
sons who delight to break such laws. Posters have been used forbidding 
under the penalties of the law the gathering of wild flowers and ferns, the 
destiniction of any tree or shrub, or the setting of fires in public parks and 
reservations, but the shocking devastation of the woods and parks con- 
tinues, nevertheless. How, then, may we preserve and protect the natural 
beauties of the field and woodland? Manifestly only by the gradual 
process of education. The appeal for the preservation of the wild flowers 
cannot be made on the basis of their economic value, though they do fur- 
nish considerable food for the honey bee and the birds, as well as shelter 
for native birds and animals, and their mold helps to enrich the soil. The 
plea must be addressed to the aesthetic sense, to love of the beautiful in 
nature for its own sake, and to the charm of the beautiful in nature as a 
joy-giving and refining influence. 

Every civic center, every state institution, university, and college, 
should maintain at least one natural park, including wild woodland, and, if 
possible, a river, or water in some form. It should have walks and drives, 
but no set planting whatever. The planting, if necessary at all, should be 
of the native species of wild plants and shrubs, planted naturally and then 
permitted to multiply in nature's own way. The blue grass should be kept 
out of the wooded tracts to preserve the more delicate and refined native 
plants, as blue grass, so valuable to the farmer, will drive the native 
plants out of the woods. 

There should be more private preserves in Iowa. I had never heard of 
a wild flower preserve in Iowa until I read in a newspaper this fall of Mr. 
Pellett's preserve at Atlantic. Mr. Pellett, according to this newspaper 
article, advocates a preserve for every county, or if possible for every 
township. The magazines and papers often mention private or club bird 
reservations. But as plants and birds go together it is unquestionably 
true that these bird preserves protect the flowers as well. 

There is a way in which all of us may help to arouse latent love for 
the beautiful in nature, and that is by organizing and joining roadside 
gardening clubs. Such a club would be open to all, would cost nothing 
but personal interest, would not require state or county aid, and would 
add much to the pleasure and enjoyment of the community. The sole ob- 
ject would be to beautify the drives around your respective towns and 
cities by sowing wild flowers and planting native shrubs and trees along 
the public highways. Care should be taken not to sow the seeds of plants 
that are likely to become noxious weeds. Rather plant the best of the 



234 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

native flora. Judgment should be exercised in providing the plants with 
those natural conditions which are essential to their growth. Much 
could be done in this way in a very limited time. We all realize the value 
to the future of the careful planting of a single tree, but too few of us 
realize the importance of saving our native shmbs and plants. If more 
oould be done in the way of pointing out the beauty of our native plants, 
and the necessity of preserving them for their own sake and the sake of 
posterity, those who now so thou-ghtlessly destroy them would conserve 
them, would gather and sow seeds, transplant vines to cover and beautify 
fences, fill the ugly corners with blossoming beauty, and move to the 
roadsides the trees, bushes, and plants that are in the way in the fields. 
Why may not Iowa have more of the fine old roadsides one sees in New 
England, with their arching elms and endless succession of shrubs and 
occasional colonies of hardy wayside flowers? It is only natural that with 
the development of the country, the prairies which once contained so 
many beautiful phlox, larkspurs, buttercups, honeysuckles and a multitude 
of other varieties, should be cultivated, but all the highways can be con- 
verted into things of beauty by planting native flora and preserving those 
that are already there from destruction by township officers, who seem to 
prefer a bare road and mown grass to beautiful natural conditions. 

With the progress of intensive farming comes the plea for narrowing 
the highways from sixty feet down to forty feet or less, so that the prod- 
ucts of the farm may be increased. If this change should be made much 
of the possibilities of beautifying the roadsides would be lost. If the 
Illinois Central railroad, to save the expense of keeping "weeds" off its 
right-of-way, carries out its announcement of cultivating its right-of-way 
between Sioux City and Chicago, for the benefit of the adjoining farmers, 
and the other roads do likewise, then one of the chief agencies for the 
distribution and propagation of plant life will be cut off. Why not rather 
treat railroad rights-of-way in a manner similar to that suggested for the 
treatment of public highways, and thereby convert such unattractive 
rights-of-way in avenues of beauty that would afford pleasure equally to 
the localities traversed and the traveling public? Forage and the grains 
are, of course, of the highest importance to Iowa, but do not the rare and 
the beautiful things which have a place in the profound economy of nature 
also have a right to existence, and is not their existence essential to 
the highest human happiness and the finest type of civilization? Let us, 
therefore, put forth such organized and individual effort as may be neces- 
sary for the protection of our native plants, and the education of the 
people to a realization of their nature and beauty. Let us change public 
indifference into such interest as will concede the native plants of Iowa 
a place in the economy of the state. If the subject receives the encour- 
agement and support of all those who in the best sense love the trees, 
shrubs, plants and flowers, they will in good season be amply rewarded 
for their efforts by the success of the enterprise and the gratitude and 
appreciation of all the people. — Iowa Forestry and Conservation Asso- 
ciation, Report 1914-15, pp 89-99. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 235 

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NATIVE PLANTS IN IOWA. 
By J. A. Spurrell. 

I think all will admit that it is desirable to preserve our native plants, 
because some of them are indispensable in medicines and must be culti- 
vated if they become rare; some deserve preservation because of their 
beauty; some because of possible economic utility; all deserve it because 
they show present day lowans small portions of the glories of the un- 
molested foi'estn the unbroken prairie, and the undrained marsh of a 
former Iowa. 

To preserve our native plants two things are necessary, a place to 
grow and protection of flower and seed. The sentiment: "It is better 
to admire the beauty of our native flowers, where they grow, than it is 
to pluck them to wither in a vase," should become universal in Iowa. 

Unfortunately, many of our rare flowers will be extinct long before 
our people can be educated to this ideal, if such an ideal state can ever 
come, therefore, other means must be adopted. 

From a preservation point of view, our native plants may be divided 
into three classes, with differing needs of protection according to habitat, 
the forest plants, the prairie plants and the plants that grow in the 
water in swamps. 

There is no woodland near my home, so I know little of the needs 
of these plants, but if forest reserves were created in Iowa by state action, 
as they should be, our trees and shade loving plants could be amply 
taken care of. 

Almost the only places left where prairie plants grow are the road- 
sides and railroad rights-of-way. The greater the distance from towns the 
more abundant are the common prairie wild flowers, and the more num- 
erous are the rare species, showing that urban people need more educa- 
tion on wild flower preservation than the farmers who would miss the 
roadside flowers were they gone, although rightly regarding many of 
them as weeds in their fields. The roadsides are owned by so many 
people that little practical preservation is possible on them. However, 
they furnish splendid places for our native grasses and legumes to grow. 
If not destroyed by plowing, too close grazing, or so frequent mowing that 
they cannot mature seed, these plants will hold their own against all 
invaders, and will come in again as soon as the land is left undisturbed. 
I have seen big and little bluestems (Andropogon provincialis and sco- 
parius), side oats grama (Bouteloua racemosa), slough grass (Spartina 
cynosuroides), and other grasses do this. Big bluestem grows on our 
town school ground, which is deserted during the summer. Vetch (Vica 
americana), vetchling (Lathyrus venosus), ground plum (Astragalus 
caryocarpus) and other native legumes also grow well where undis- 
turbed. Some of the fertility of Iowa soil is due to the former abundance 
of these plants. 

On the railroad right-of-way our native plants have only the annual 
mowing and unlimited flower plucking to contend with. They could be 
preserved here by co-operation between the railroads and a permanent 
Iowa Conservation Commission or Board, not now in existence, but much 



236 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

needed. Whenevei- possible, the annual mowing should come when it 
will interfere least with the flowering and fruiting of our native plants. 
Biennial mowing, when possible, would benefit many species, especially 
the grasses. 

Rare and beautiful species should be protected by wardens at flowering 
time. In my locality these would include the pomme de prairie (Psoralea 
esculenta), the anemone (Anemone patens) and the downy gentian (Gen- 
tiana puberula), of the dry prairies, and the closed gentian (Gentiana 
andrewsii), the small white lady slipper (Cypripedium candidum), the 
Turk's cap and orange red lilies (Lilium superbum and philadelphicum"), 
of the moist prairies. 

I would be opposed to any artificial parking, to effect an "improvement" 
of the landscape along the right-of-way. There is more absolute hideous- 
ness visible from the railroad tracks in the towns and cities of our state 
than there is in all the open country. Let the railroad parking be con- 
fined to the towns and cities where it is most needed and appreciated and 
the most people receive benefit from it. 

The plants growing in the water or in marshes are hai'der to pre- 
serve than any others, since so many of the lakes and swamps are being 
drained and the general water level is lowering year by year. In my 
locality the sweet-scented water lily (Nymphaea tuberosa), bladder-wort 
(Utricularia vulgaris americana), the iris or blue flag (Iris veriscolor;, 
the water arum (Calla palustris), the pickerel weed or water hyacinth 
(Pontederia cordata), and the white fringed orchis (Habenaria blephari- 
glottis), are in special danger of extinction. 

Quill reed or reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), cat-tails (Typha 
latifolia), great burr reed (Sparganium eurycarpum), arrow head 
(Aquatica). 

I see no way to reserve water and marsh plants, except to set apart 
special reservations, similar to the federal bird reservations. As an 
illustration of the need of this, on Wall lake in Sac county an area of 
about 70 acres was formerly covered with water lilies. In 1913 an area 
of 8 square rods would include all the lilies remaining, and there was 
only one bud and no flowers on the patch early in August. In the mean- 
time, people had gathered lilies by the boat-load and wash-tub-full, cat- 
tle had devoured them and drouth had fluctuated the lake level. These 
lilies need total protection for several years, then a number limit on the 
persons who gather them. Reservations for marsh plants should be so 
located that they will not be destroyed by the drainage of surrounding 
land. 

Do we not need a law in Iowa providing that the state will accept 
and care for gifts of land for forest, plant and bird reservations, when 
the land offered is found by competent authority to be suitable for such 
purposes? 

We surely need a law providing for a permanent Conservation Com- 
mission, the appointment which should be as far removed from politics 
as possible. All the natural resources of the state, not under the juris- 
diction of the flsh and game warden, the forests, wild plants, lakes and 
streams, noted or curious natural formations, etc., should be under the 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 237 

jurisdiction of such Conservation Commission, since these things belong 
to all the people and are cared for by none, for "everybody's business is 
nobody's business." All state parks and reservations, which may be 
created in the future, should also be under the commission's jurisdiction. 

The law creating the commission should give it authority to issue, 
for the conservation of our natural resources, regulations having the 
force of law, varying in different localities to suit different conditions. 
Our national parks and forests are governed in this manner, so it should 
be practical in Iowa. 

Unless such measures are taken, 10 years more will see the rare 
flowers of my locality extinct; and 25 years, most of the remainder gone. 
The need is great and it is time for prompt action, especially in regard 
to marsh plants. — Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association, Report 
1914-15, pp 100-104. 



PRESERVATION OF NATIVE PLANTS. 
By Harriett S. Kellog, Botanist. 

A natural woodland carpeted with a mosaic of wild flowers appeals 
to each individual according to his inherent traits of character. One esti- 
mates it in terms of cord-wood and acres; another banishes all utilitarian 
ideas, seeing it only as a most glorious heritage to be preserved that 
future generations may also enjoy its beauty, while the third imagines 
a golden mean wherein both the utilitarian and the man of sentiment 
may be satisfied. 

With the prevailing high prices of land In Iowa, it is not practical that 
ground valuable for agricultural purposes should lie unfilled, but there 
are many places in the state that have been denuded of their foi'ests, 
when the forest was their most profitable asset. The writer has in 
mind a locality that thirty years ago contained a wonderful growth of 
black walnut; back of this were hills covered with native timber. Fifteen 
years ago, a ride over this locality disclosed the fact that the walnut land 
had been cleared. This was then good farm land, the change having been 
made for the better, but the hills were bare also, the streams that had 
carried moisture to neighboring farms had disappeared, violent storms 
had eroded the slopes, which never could make good farm land, and in 
place of the beauty of stately oaks, elms, maples and hickories with the 
undergrowth of herbs and shrubs, was the sun-dried soil, where a few 
cattle secured scanty sustenance. 

On one of these hills had been a grove of wild crabapple that was visi- 
ble for several miles and in the spring offered a vision of beauty not to 
be forgotten. 

There had been an abundant native flora that has all but disappeared 
from its natural home. A few lovers of wild flowers had, with infinite 
pains, now and then transplanted these woodland species to their town 
gardens and thus many varieties have been preserved in the near vicinity 
that would otherwise have been lost to the flora of the state. 

When the tide of immigration set into Iowa during the middle of the 
last century, the pioneers found a flora paradise here. The hills were 



238 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

blue with violets; phlox made the meadows brilliant; lady slippers grev/ 
in the deep woods; cardinal flowers gave color to the late summer land- 
scape; and water lilies flourished in the streams and lakes. Today, the 
lady slipper, cardinal flower, and water lilies are extremely rare in cen- 
tral Iowa and yet students at Ames during the 70's recall collecting the 
two former on the college land lying near the Northwestern railroad 
tracks. A later example of complete extinction has come within the 
writer's experience. Eight years ago at Ames along College creek, 
were plantations of the beautiful orchid, Spiranthes oemua, and the 
stately Turk's cap lily, Lilium superbum. The march of improvement 
has swept away both of these; first the orchid, which disappeared when 
the new road was opened, later the lily, which fell before the ruthless 
sweep of the scythe and lawn mower. Here and there are patches care- 
fully preserved, that are the delight of the botanist and nature lover. 
As one example, we might mention the Hayden farm near Ames, where 
many species, as the cardinal flower and the beautiful pasque flower, 
otherwise unknown in this vicinity of Iowa, are carefully protected. 

It is not that we do not admire the delicate native flowers, that we 
take so little pains to save them: it is rather that in our haste to accom- 
plish more important things, we have been unconscious of the prevailing 
trend, until now that we are threatened with the complete extinction of 
many of our most beautiful varieties, w6 are wakening to the fact that 
immediate action is necessary if we would stay the destructive movement. 
Granted that it is not practicable always to retain our wild plants in their 
natural habitats, there is offered the alternative of transplanting and 
protecting them in new homes. In this step we, however, are confronted 
with many hindrances. To many of our home gardeners, the difficulty of 
obtaining these native plants places them almost beyond possibility of 
possession. Seeds of alien plants may be purchased from the local 
seedman during an ordinary shopping expedition, or be ordered by mail 
without stirring from the house; greenhouse plants may be easily ob- 
tained, but the dainty spring beauty and the graceful blue bell hide in 
the forest and are not easily accessible to one who would have them 
in her home garden. Their blooming period is short and having accom- 
plished this, they soon disappear and are not seen again until a new 
spring awakens them. Hence, one must be alert who would find them in 
time to recognize and transplant them. These two plants easily adapt 
themselves to a new environment and after becoming once established 
bloom and increase year after year as if in their natural habitat. 

It would be difficult to find a more beautiful vine than the perennial 
moonseed. Its thick, ivy-like leaves quickly cover a trellis; it is not 
affected by fungi and insects do not relish its sap, and yet it is seldom 
seen in our towns and villages. A few years ago, an acquaintance in 
a neighboring county sent a specimen of this plant to the writer for 
identification. She said that it was so persistent that she had despaired 
of destroying it, but thinking that it was a weed, had cut it down year 
after year. Upon being advised that it made a very ornamental vine, she 
transplanted it to her porch and was delighted with the results. In 
northern Minnesota it is used as an ornamental porch vine and grows 
with almost tropical luxuriance. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 239 

The blood-root, whose star-like blossoms are seen on the borders cl; 
woodland and in sunny places within the groves, become easily acclimated 
when transplanted and blooms year after year when few other plants have 
awakened from their winter's sleep. 

These native flowers have many admirable qualities. First of all, 
they are hardy and with a little care when first transplanted become 
easily established, after which they ask no further consideration; their 
delicate beauty harmonizes with the landscape. If we expect the com- 
posites of the late autumn, there are few native flowers in Iowa that flaunt 
their colors in the face of the observer, as do the exotic geraniums and 
salvias; they are generally free from fungus diseases, and they are in- 
expensive. 

What a more beautiful shrub for our lawns than the waa-hoo. The 
wild grape, the clematis and the bitter-wort are quick growing vines, 
the clematis especially being very fragrant. Ferns ask only a shady 
place with some moisture and they will send up their green fronds from 

early spring until frost. 

In a paper read before the State Horticultural Society several years 
ago, the writer recorded the result of thirty years of such acclimatizing 
made by a lover of flowers in the city of Grinnell, and this was true conser- 
vation, though it meant transplanting of plants from their native heaths 
to the town gardens. Many of these came from woods in the vicinity, 
which long since have been denuded of their trees and today are culti- 
vated farm lands. Thus, species that for years have been extinct in their 
original habitat have adapted themselves to a new environment and are 
increasing their bounds. Four years ago, forty species from this collec- 
tion were transplanted to the college botanical garden and thus will be 
protected and become established features of the flora. 

On a collecting trip last summer along the Rainy river, the writer 
happened upon a forest path that would test the skill of a painter to re- 
produce. The trees extend to the very bank of the river and occasionally 
a foot path may be seen, leading a short distance up the slopes. Following 
one of these one day, a scene of enchantment burst before us. On either 
side the path was bordered by tall Jewell weed, whose brilliant orange 
and gold flowers were poised like butterflies on the slender stalks. 
Farther back were seen the white umbels of the wild carrot, whose 
English name. Queen Anne's lace, seemed more appropriate. Tall 
youth-wort was still beyond; a tinkling brook could be heard as it founl 
its way over the rocks to the river; the carpet underneath was of green 
moss; dotted with the graceful partridge berry, pyrola, bishop's cap, 
the low cornel and trailing twin-flower. Following the path, we came 
to a very thicket of ferns and brakes, while around and overhead were 
the waving branches of birches, firs, cedars and cottonwoods. All of 
this was within a few blocks of the largest paper-pulp mill in the United 
States and I have wondered many times whether this mecca of nature 
lovers would yield in time to the so-called march of improvement, or 
whether the people of the city would save this strip. In my collection, 
made within a space of not more than four thousand square feet, were 
not fewer than two hundred species of native flora. 



240 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Are there not resources in every county that could be developed in 
order to preserve our native flora? Cannot a gonserted effort be pro- 
moted to make each county school yard a flower preserve? The writer 
is aware that many times the pupils of the rural schools who with much 
enthusiasm has set out their wild flower beds in the spring, return in 
the fall to find that the grounds have been used as a neighborhood pas- 
ture, or that the director in preparing for the fall opening has ruthlessly 
mowed everything in sight. Can we blame the children, if they lose 
interest In this work? Oftentimes, too, the school grounds are unfenced. 
However, these conditions may be changed if the interest of the patrons 
is once aroused. To encourage establishing native trees, shrubs and 
herbs on country school grounds very definite suggestions should be 
made to teachers, and pupils. 

It is not enough to appoint an arbor day and hope that in every dis- 
trict such planting will be done. Few teachers have had practical 
experience in transplanting trees and shrubs, but the great majority 
will endeavor to do this if definite suggestions of what to do are mad'^. 
It is not enough to make resolutions at such a meeting as this. Neither 
county superintendent nor rural teacher is likely to see the report 
Could not circulars be prepared and sent to the county superintendent 
for distribution among his teachers, in which working lists of planis to 
be set out and methods of doing this are clearly noted? Let me suggest 
that these lists be short and include only such plants as are easily 
accessible. It might be well, also, to caution against such plants as ane- 
mone, Pennsylvanica, Desmidium and Hydrophyllum, which soon become 
weeds. 

It is not enough to say "Set out some shrubs and other plants," but 
if we say "Set out wahoo and wild honeysuckle in the yard, plant moon 
seed and woodbine by the porch, set out bitterworL by the fence, place a 
clump of hawthorne and wild crabapple on a slope, set out hepaticas, blue 
bells, columbine and bloodroot on the south, anemones on the east and 
ferns on the north side of the house and ask your director to see tha" 
the fence is good, moreover, save religiously every flowering plant and 
shrub already native to the school ground; if it is not advisable to retain 
them there, transplant them carefully to some more suitable part of the 
ground," — if we speak thus definitely, teachers, school children and 
neighborhood will vie with each other in carrying out directions. The plants 
named have been selected advisedly because they blossom while the 
spring term of school is in session. The bitter sweet, haw and wau-hoo 
are attractive because of their fruit when school opens in the fall; more- 
over, they all may be obtained easily from the nearest grove. 

The organization of consolidated schools offers a like opportunity, 
since an essential condition of such consolidation is that the grounds be 
ample and in each school there is a teacher of agriculture. 

Every county, we might say every town, should have its picnic 
grounds and these should be left as far as possible in a state of nature, 
where both fauna and flora might be preserved. Cannot any game pre- 
serves, of which there are many in the state, be made preserves of native 
flora also? Mormon Ridge in Marshall county has a very extensive flora. 
The owners of the timber land are foresting it carefully. It has been a 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 241 

game preserve and if the same care could be taken of its flora, that is 
taken of its birds and trees, it would remain a valuable heritage for all 
time. It is easily accessible by rail. 

Along the Squaw creek, perhaps a mile and a half from the Iowa State 
College buildings, is a little bit of ground known to students as "the 
patch." To reach it formerly we found our way by no well-marked path, 
but rather by a sense of direction, over the ridges, or along the stream 
where sometimes trees reached so far into the water that only by cling- 
ing to the trunk and swinging around it could one continue his way and 
finally come to this most picturesque portion of the farm, which was at 
high water an island, literally carpeted with violets. Beyond are the 
wood anemones bounded by a curve of hawthorn trees. The violets are 
a little darker than those that grow elsewhere, the stems a little longer 
and constant picking only increases the number of blooms. When groups 
of students come in from the north woods laden with these beautiful 
flowers, we know, regardless of the calendar, that spring is here. As 
the road builders approach this bit of fairyland, thus making it accessible 
by carriages, we hear on every hand the mournful query, "Will the violet 
patch too be exterminated?" 

On a steamer trip to Kenora, the northern part of the Lake of the 
Woods, a beautiful island is passed sixteen miles out from the city. This 
is the municipal picnic ground, than which none more beautiful can be 
found anywhere. There is a sandy beach for bathing, virgin pines, firs, 
birches, spruces and maples offer shade and in season there is a wealth 
of native flora that has never been disturbed. As we rounded the point 
not long ago, we met a couple of launches filled with a merry party on 
the way to the island for an evening of enjoyment. Several in the boat 
spoke of the far-sightedness in saving this island for the people. 

Our city and country cemeteries offer opportunities not to be over- 
looked for establishing native flora. In the small rural cemetery near one 
of our country churches is a plantation of the orchid, Spirantheas cernua, 
that is found only in that one locality in a large radius of territory. 

The golf and country club is becoming more and more a recognized 
factor in the small city's recreational resources. The grounds, owned or 
leased, usually contain a strip of woodland bordering a running stream. 
Cannot the custom be established of creating a native plant preserve 
in a park at least of such territory? 

The movement for conservation of our national i-esources is one that 
is gathering force year by year, and it is for us to help it by practical 
means. 

It may be long before extensive botanical gardens and arboreta are 
established in Iowa. Meanwhile let us use the means at hand, school 
grounds, parks, cemeteries, country clubs, bits of forest laud here and 
there, and exert our influence to forward the growing tendency to look 
upon the great field of nature as a heritage of all the people to be pre- 
served for the use of all, not only as a source of recreation, but as an 
historical record of the flora of our beautiful Iowa. — Iowa Forestry and 
Conservation Association, Report 1914-15, pp 80-88. 



242 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

BIRD CONSERVATION IN IOWA. 
By B. H. Bailey. 

It would be difRcuIt to emphasize too strongly the need that exists for 
fartlier conservation of our Iowa birds. Their value from an economic 
standpoint even in their reduced numbers, can scarcely be overestimated, 
and from an aesthetic viewpoint the flowers are their only rivals. That 
the last quarter century has seen a diminution of their numbers no one 
can gainsay. Not all species have been equally depleted. The chief suf- 
ferers have been those looked upon as game which have been protected 
at all adequately only within recent years, by limitations of the open 
season and the restrictions of the bag. 

The protection afforded our smaller and economically most valuable 
birds is, and I believe must largely be, through education. By the im- 
pact of cumulative sentiment we may confidently hope in the rising 
generation ito accomplish much. I take it the purpose of this meeting 
is to plan ways and means for effective conservation in Iowa along all 
the lines suggested in the topics for discussion. 

If we now inquire what agencies have brought about these untoward 
conditions against which our efforts at conservation are aimed, we must 
confess that man himself, that disturbing factor against which nature 
seems never to have provided adequately, is the chief devastator. He is 
responsible for the considerable reduction of land birds and also water 
birds of our state which both in numbers of individuals as well as in nest- 
ing species are decreased. 

The draining of lakes and sloughs as well as the almost ceaseless 
fusillade of repeating shot-guns have thinned the ranks of the former 
myriads of migrating and nesting waterfowls. Notwithstanding the ex- 
traordinary percentage of arable land of Iowa the greed for more is upon 
us. May we not one day find ourselves in a similar predicament with 
that unhappy individual in the well known story, who, in Ms lust for 
wealth desired that everything he touched should instantly turn to gold. 
We may one day wish these natural assets back again but our repentance 
will come too late. 

In the brief time allotted to me permit me to bring to your notice 
one instance wbere timely action saved a valuable l>reeding ground to 
the waterfowl of a certain portion of the state. In 1902 while on a sum- 
mer tour by wagon through northern Iowa I first became acquainted with 
the bird life of Eagle Lake, a tract of marsh and open water covering, 
by rough estimate, a. thousand acres and lying some two and one-half 
miles north of the town of Duncan, in Hancock county. Here among 
the cat tails, wild rice, blue flag and other rank growth the waterfowl 
find shelter and food, while in the grassy swails of nearby fields and along 
the timbetred shore many species less acquatic make their homes. The 
outlet at the eastern end was so shallow that after the spring overflow, 
during summers of normal rainfall there remained sufiicient depth of 
water for use of a skiff in most parts of the lake, and at times the over- 
flow throxigh this channel was considerable. In dry seasons the enormous 
evaporation exposed the boggy bottom for many rods around the margin 



■ . PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 243 

and the cattle were wont to feed out some distance from tbe meander 
line. 

During the summer some five years ago, through the deepening of the 
outlet by a neighboring farmer, thus preventing the retention of the 
spring rainfall, and the dryness of the summer which followed, the lake 
went practically dry in places, and such water birds as still remained 
were restricted to comparatively limited quarters. Through the co- 
operaition of the state game warden, George Lincoln, and at the urgent 
request of the Ward Brothers, whose farm adjoined the lake, an earth 
and concrete dam was built so as to retain water up to a desired level. 
The effect of this timely interference was noticeable in two ways. There 
were vigorous protests on the part of certain farmers who had come to 
believe during the years of drouth that all the exposed acreage adjacent 
to their property belonged to them and had straightway proceeded to 
fence it in. The second noticeable result was the swarming of large 
flocks of ducks and other water birds that, driven. in from surrounding 
ponds which had dried up, came to this refuge where, by the scores and 
hundreds, they could be seen standing on the mud flats and rat houses 
or swimming in the open water. Gallimules, rails, coots and snipes, 
herons, grebes and bitterns were observed in large numbers, and I have 
never seen so many ducks at one time before or since. This compara- 
tively small outlay was amply justified in that one season and many 
times since. I have visited this lake again and again and always with 
pleasure and profit. On its shores in an oak wood some 200 pairs of 
black-crowned night herons have nested. Decimated by hunters and 
frightened they have shifted their heronry from place to place. First 
located in the willows of Wood lake, a small marsh near Eagle lake, 
and draining into it, they next went to the poplars and oaks a mile away 
and nearly a half mile from open water. A year ago they had again 
moved to an oak covered hill nearer the marsh where in the tops of the 
second growth they were better concealed and less liable to the attacks 
of hunters, and their eggs were safe from marauding crows. Considering 
a few similar places in Iowa where wild fowl may breed, the destruction 
of this lake would be little short of a crime. If there is one legitimate 
use more than another to which the hunters' license money might well 
be applied it is the conservation of Iowa's limited water birds. 

As in other reform and conservation movements Iowa has furnished 
great leaders, so in this effort to conserve the wild life of this continent 
no greater leader has arisen than champion of the migratory bird law, 
Dr. W. T. Hornaday. In his very soul he believes in his work and his 
aggressive spirit and tireless energy have been given free rein in the 
accomplishment of his herculean task. His convincing arguments and 
his personality won others to his standard, but it was no easy fight to 
route vicious practices such as plume hunting and spring shooting when 
entrenched behind the almighty dollar and the lust to kill. 

May there not arise another lowan of similar abilities and kindred 
spirit who shall be able to accomplish for our state what Dr. Hornaday 
has accomplished for the nation, and shall not we who teach, whether 
in university, college, or country school, bring to bear the conserving 



244 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

forces of education to the end that our Iowa birds may not perish from 
the earth. — Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association. Report 1914-15. 
pp. 31-4. 



WILD BIRD PROTECTION IN IOWA. 
By George Bennett. 

It is much, too late in tlie day to plead the necessity for bird protec- 
tion either on moral, aesthetic, or material grounds, as all this has 
long been conceded by a sufficiently large portion of thie thinking sec- 
tion of the world, to establish it permanently in the curriculum of every- 
day life. 

Suffice it to say, that, among other things, we lay down the principle 
that bird protection is wise, because of the provided economic value of 
the birds in feeding so largely on grubs and insects that prey on vegetable 
life and on weed seeds which are a menace to crops. Also, the study of 
bird life is a particularly valuable factor and fascinating medium in the 
education of children, as well as adults, who, in the study of birds — ^their 
variety, characteristics and migratory instincts, find a subject worthy of 
much study. 

Starting out from the premises that the birds should be protected, we 
inquire how? They have been intentionally decimated and destroyed 
with a determiniation and persistence that presents an unusually dark 
picture to the nature lover. Again through the march of what we some- 
times call civilization, the settler has so changed the phyiscal conditions 
of the territory which he has invaded, that the swamp and thicket which 
previously gave food and shelter to a variety of birds, have disappeared, 
and naturally our feathered friends have disappeared with them. 

It may be taken for granted that we all have read what that mighty 
champion of the cause of living things. Dr. Hornaday of New York, has 
to say in his book, "Our Vanishing Wild Life." In summing up the situa- 
tion he would like to know, "What is to be done?" 

We will consider briefly a certain phase of our subject which stands 
squarely in the way of dealing with it scientifically, and then address our- 
selves to advocating certain specific things which should be done at 
once in our own state. 

If we would preserve our birds from being killed, we must curtail the 
hunting spirit. At its worst the hunting spirit is bad and the shotgun a 
diabolical weapon. This spirit should pass out of our civilization, being 
utterly incompatible with our cause and having nothing but barbarism 
and a vicious custom to recommend it. The plea made by its votaries 
that healthful and invigorating field and woodland experiences are its 
accompaniment can be applied with equal and much more rational force 
to the man who fires shots with a camera and ohtains infinitely more de- 
sirable results. Some hunters see in the steps taken to protect .bird 
life only the furnishing, at a later date, a greater number of victims for 
their guns. This great hindrance standing directly in our path of en- 



PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 245 

deavor, should be removed by the support of all true sportsmen. Total 
prohibition against shooting, for the present at least, and possibly for 
many years to come, would be a logical course to pursue with i-espect 
to such birds as are in danger of being depleted or exterminated. It re- 
minds one of another evil in the world for which various expedients have 
been recommended and adopted, but all in vain, and the nation is calling 
in loud and ever accentuated voice for the only adequate i-emedy — pro- 
hibition. 

Assuming for a moment that the so-called sport, as applied to shoot- 
ing of birds, is legitimate, is it not fair that one individual should have 
equal rights with another in pursuing it? If this is so we are immediately 
confronted with a host of nimrods for whom our hunting territory is 
much too contracted, and where the available supply of birds will by no 
means go round. Par better that the boy from the beginning should 
be taught that the shotgun is often a menace to the enjoyment of out- 
door life and that the true, heroic, the allsatisfying thing is to pi^otect, 
increase and propogate the beautiful in nature. But we hear some say- 
ing in following this doctrine we would be overrun with our denizens of 
the air to our great detriment — 'however this would not happen in a year, 
nor in twenty years. Let us at any rate practice prohibition until the 
demand for Paris green, hellebore and the like has materially decreased, 
and the birds are with us in sufficient numbers to police our crops, as of 
old, thereby restoring outraged nature's balance. 

And now for a moment, to return to Dr. Hornaday's question, "What 
is to be done to protect our birds in Iowa?" On page 281 of Dr. Hornaday's 
book he has this to say of Iowa: "It is said that the Indian word 'Iowa' 
means the 'drowsy' or 'sleepy ones.' Politically and educationally, Iowa 
is all right, but in the protection of wild life she is ten years behind 
the times in almost everything save the prohibition of the sale of game. 
Iowa knows better than to pursue the course that she does I She boasts 
about her corn and hogs, but she is deaf to the appeals of the states sur- 
rounding her on the subject of spring shooting. For years Minnesota has 
set her a good example, but nothing moves her to step up to where she 
belongs in the phalanx of intelligent game^protecting states. 

"The foregoing may sound harsh, but in view of what other states 
have endured from Iowa's stubbornness regarding migratory game, the 
time for silent treatment of her case is gone by. She is today in the 
same class as North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland — at the tail 
end of the procession of states. She cares everything for corn and 
hogs, but little for wild life." 

She will not take up this challenge and, as we claim in so many 
things to be first, place our state in the forefront as regards the pro- 
tection of our bird life ? There are two things to he done — 'eduoation and 
legislation. A definite and permanent plank should appear in the com- 
mon school curriculum, espeeially in rural districts, where from the very 
first the children should be trained in the economic importance of bird 
life. The National Association of Audubon Societies has a standing 
offer to every public school teacher in the country to supply very attrac- 
tive bird literature on easy and inviting terms, but our Iowa State Board 



246 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

of Education desires to go a step farther and makes such, or similar 
work, compulsory. 

In addition education should proceed through agricultui-'al institutes 
• and clubs. The granges of the state, particularly, should give more 
attention to this subject. From our own contact with our farmers, we 
find them alive to the importance of this subject and ready to co-operate. 
The remark has been made to us, "I would as soon see a person take a 
chicken. from my flock as a quail from my pasture." If a state law be- 
comes effective in prohibiting shooting of every kind, all the time, 
many a farmer would give a sigh of relief since he would no longer be 
accosted with requests to hunt over his land and his feathered helpers 
would be interfered with no more, but would be permitted to perform 
their good offices without molestation. 

This would effectually pave the way for a campaign of education 
among agriculturists who are the natural custodians of the birds, re- 
garding the bringing back of some of the old conditions favorable to 
bird life, but which have disappeared in the onward march through 
draining, cutting down, and leveling up. Naturally, the thrifty farmer 
desires to see all his land so cleaned up and prepared, that theirs is no 
suggestion of swamp, brush or weed patch. For himself alone, from a 
certain standpoint, this may be all right, but from another angle, radically 
wrong. In his endeavor to emulate his good wife in the cleanliness and 
order prevailing in the home, he overlooks an important factor of out- 
door economy. He has a host of helpers in the birds which he cannot 
well do without, and he has not given the least thought to their pro- 
tection ajid care. Thus, we see he has been delinquent, largely because 
he was uninformed, hence the necessity for a campaign of education In 
order that the birds may be provided with suitable nesting thickets, cer- 
tain wild fniit trees for supplying their food, and special food, when, 
through the severity of winter the creatures are cut off from their regu- 
lar natural supplies. The campaign of education needs the support of 
legislation which we should seek when our representatives from the 
various counties meet in this city foT this specific work. A good start 
would be made in the appointment of a state ornithologist. When little 
states like Massaehusetts and Connecticut have these, Iowa certainly 
should. We have with us here the text of the bill establishing this office 
in Massachusetts about six years ago, when our friend E. H. Forbush was 
chosen for the post and has continued in the position. At a later date, 
at the suggestion of Mr. Forbush, which it was the writer's pleasure 
to assist in carrying out, another friend of ours, Herbeit K. Job of West 
Haven, Connecticut, was chosen as state ornithologist for Connecticut, 
who has recently resigned to become consulting ornithologist of the 
National Association of Audubon Societies. Both these names will 
doubtless be familiar to many in this room. 

The ornithologist would naturally be state game warden. Under and 
in association with him would be a warden for every county, while this 
official should have affiliated with him a warden for every township, the 
latter to be honorary and serve without pay, except in special cases, 
when a rural minister of the gospel would doubtless feel it his duty to 
act as township warden. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 247 

With the formulating of plans such as these above outlines, I believe 
we oould better protect and preserve our beautiful and beneficent bird 
.life. 



PROTECTING THE MIGRATORY BIRDS. 
By Charles F. Clarke. 

I am in receipt of a telegram fi^om W. T. Hornaday of the New York 
Zoological Park, which reads as follows: 

"New York, N. Y., April 11. — Charles F. Clarke, Adel, Iowa: The fed- 
eral migratory bird law is in danger of being rendered ineffective through 
lack of funds to meet legitimate costs of enforcement. Senator Robinson 
of Arkansas is tiTing to cut out all funds from the agrcultural appropria- 
tion bill. Arouse your state to demand of your senators $100,000. Quick 
and strong action is imperative. W. T, Hornaday." 

Certainly Mr. Hornaday ought to be loyally supported in his effort to 
have the migi-atoi-y bird law made effective. Especially here in Iowa 
should the people give their support unqualifiedly to the efforts to pre- 
serve the birds. Probably there has never been any place in the entire 
world which has been a home for as many and varied a species of migra- 
tory waterfowl as has been the territory in the upper Mississippi valley 
now embraced within the limits of the state of Iowa. When the pioneers 
first crossed the Mississippi river and stepped on the soil of Iowa they 
stepped on a hunter's paradise. When the ice of the great river was 
breaking up and when it went creaking and cracking through the wil- 
lows along the shore the flight of waterfowl from the south was on. And 
will the people of Iowa ever see such a sight again? 

Then the land was new. No one but the Indian made it his home. 
The wild things of nature were undisturbed. The deer lived in the 
bottoms along the river, the lordly elk shook his mane in the morning 
breeze and from the rugged bluffs that overlooked the "Father of Waters" 
greeting the sunrise with challenge of freedom and defiance. The buf- 
falo roamed the prairies that extended westward toward the setting sun 
and on the high prairies far toward the Missouri river the antelope in 
graceful bands grazed on the grass of the prairie. But behold the water- 
fowl on their spring journey to the northland! With the utter abandon 
of perfect freedom they came in long lines over the southern horizon — 
great V-shaped fiocks of geese and brant and innumerable hundreds and 
thousands of mallard and teal, widgeon and pintail, and all the rest of the 
wonderful and beautiful array of feathered folk that make up the galaxy 
of America's waterfowl. Who ever saw that flight of ducks and geese 
on a bright spring morning a little over a half centuiT ago must have 
flelt ia thrill of life in his soul that made him glad to be alive and 
that made him worship at the shrine of nature pure and undefiled as it 
was on that glorious morning. Out of the bayous along the shore 
where the willows and cottonwoods grew in profusion the feathered 
throng kept coming and going. With whistling wings grand 
fiocks of mallards would swish by with a rush and alight with a splash 
in the nearby water and at the same time with loud splashing and 



248 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

quacking others of the birds would rise laborously up through the trees 
and make oft northward until they were lost in the rosy depths of the 
sky. And still they came, immense flocks of them streaming northward 
with joyous honks and quacks heralding the morning, the springtime, 
and 'proclaiming the grand goodness of life. And as the ducks and geese 
came northward, as every bend in the magnificent river afforded rest and 
shelter for the waterfowl, as the sandbars were crowded with the Ca- 
nadian geese choosing their mates and making ready for the new season, 
the song birds also voiced their gladness and as the sun's rays gradually 
dispelled the white mists of the river and the deep gloom of the heavily 
wooded shores, the whole grand chorus of robins, blackbirds, and a 
myriad of others hardy enough to go northward with the ducks, chirruped 
and caroled the gladness of the morning. It was a wonderful sight — 
a glorious experience for those wTio saw it and heard it and felt it. Tinily 
it must have seemed the dawn of creation itself when the great creator 
made the earth and sky, the rivers and the sea, and peopled them all 
with a, glorious throng. 

But will it ever be seen in Iowa again? Will it ever be heard or felt 
or experienced? The elk and the buffalo are gone, and the antelope are 
no more in Iowa and probably never will be. And the feathered throng 
of waterfowl and songsters that come up the river in the spring have 
dwindled to sadly decimated numbers, and the glory and the freedom of 
the new day has very largely departed. The ducks and geese now come 
in scattered flocks, the song of birds has decreased in volume, the 
woods along the shore have in a large measure disappeared, and the river 
itself Is not the mighty and full flowing stream that it used to be. The 
pigeons that once were seen in greater numbers than even the waterfowl 
have vanished from the face of the earth. They will never be seen again. 

The pioneer who first stepped on Iowa soil stepped on a promised 
land. He saw it in its primitive, elemental glory. The hawthorn and wild 
crabapple trees were in bloom, the grass of the prairie extended west- 
ward in gentle undulations like a wonderful lawn interspersed with 
clumps of budding and flowering trees. Over the soggy prairie the wild 
swan winged his way, and in the evening glow of sunset could be made 
out flocks of sandhill cranes laborously winging their way northward, 
while their gutteral but musical notes came faintly to the ear from a 
great height in the soft spring air. In the morning when the sun again 
flooded this new land with light, the booming of prairie chickens could 
be heard on every hand, and flocks of them could be seen swiftly flying 
from one part of the prairie to another. The marshes and lakes were 
being filled with waterfowl that stoppied in Iowa to spend the summer 
and raise the young ducklings which should add their number to the al- 
ready multitudinous numbers that flew over the fair land of Iowa. 

The pioneer came into a promised land but he was greedy for the 
treasures that the land offered and thinking that such incredible numbers 
of wild creatures could never be destroyed and thinking that such bound- 
less acres could never lose their fertility and thinking that such great 
stretches of woodland could never be cut down, he began with all his 
might to slay and destroy and confiscate. The result is that we have a 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 249 

great commercialized civilization in Iowa but many of the fairest and 
rarest of Iowa's treasures have been trodden under foot. 

Civilization in Iowa is on a commercial basis. The aesthetic, the ideal, 
the beautiful, the elemental has had to give way before commercialism. 
As a people our character has suffered as a result. We miss from life 
things that should not be missed. The modern tendency is to disregard 
everything primitive, everything elemental, as being relics of barbarism. 
Nevertheless the poet who penned the following lines probably had a 
deeper insight into life than has any captain of industry: 

They saw the silence 
Move by and beckon ; saw the forms, 
The very beards, of burly stornis, 
And heard them talk like sounding seas. 
They saw the snowy mountains rolled 
And heaved along the nameless lands 
Like mighty billows ; saw the gold 
Of awful sunsets ; saw the blush 
Of sudden d.awn, and felt the hush 
Of heaven when the day sat down 
And hid his face in dusky hands. 

And Walt Whitman probably was more deeply happy when he wiT)te 
the following lines than was ever any man to whom nature means 
nothing: 

In vain the speeding of shyness. 
In vain the elk takes to the inner passes of the woods . . . 
Where geese nip their food with short jerks, 
Where sundown shadows lengthen over the limitless prairie, 

Where herds of buffalo make a crawling spread of the square miles, far and near. 
Where winter wolves bark amid wastes of snow and ice-clad trees .... 
The moose, large as an ox. cornered by hunters, plunging with his forefeet, the 

hoofs as sharp as knives 

The blazing fire at night, the sweet taste of supper, the talk, the bed of hemlock 

boughs, and the bear skin. 

Indeed so far have commercial ideals governed us that we cannot 
now produce any literature that will compare with what was written a 
few generations ago. And this is not an idle statement. It is made de- 
liberately and for this reason — ^that in the literature of a few genera- 
tions ago there was a deeper realization of the presence of a creator of 
the universe in all things and this realization was more especially felt 
through a love of nature and things elemental and things iprimitive. For 
instance Cooper's Leatherstocking in speaking of his religion and of his 
soom for books says: 

" 'Tis open before your eyes, and he who owns it is not niggard of its 
use. I have heard it said that there are men who read in books to 
convince themselves there is a God. I know not but man may so deform 
his works in the settlement, as to leave that which is so clear in the 
wilderness a matter of doubt among traders and priests. If any such 
there be, and he will follow me from sun to sun, through the windings 
of the forest, he shall see enough to teach him that he is a fool, and that 
the greatest of his folly lies in striving to rise to the level of One he can 
never equal, be it in goodness, or be it in power."' 

Even our religion has come to be largely a matter of fomii and in it as 



250 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

in literature there is much refinement of learning but little genuine 
faith or reverence. 

We have gone far away from things elemental, from things primitive 
that are deeply associated with and inseparable from healthy, normal, 
vigorous life. We need to get back to the things we have lost and cer- 
tainly a good beginning would be to assist in the effort to get congress 
to appropriate money to enforce the federal migratory bird law and get 
so far as possible the song birds and waterfowl that have been slaught- 
ered so iTitMessly for half a century. 

This, then, is an earnest appeal to everyone to write to Lhe Iowa sen- 
ators to support the effort to raise $100,000 for the purpose of enforcing 
the federal law. 

And for fear of appearing two-faced the writer of this article must de- 
clare that ever since he has been able to carry a gun he has hunted 
ducks and geese and other game birds, and that he has sat by the hour 
in a howling northwest wind near the edge of some prairie pond in the 
hope of getting one or two shots at ducks that might chance to come 
his way. He must say further tliat there is no sport or pastime that 
rests nearer his heart than duck shooting, but in spite of it all he will 
gladly put up his gun during the spring season to the end that the 
birds may be restored to something like their former numbers and that 
his children's cliildren may see the sandhill crane in the sunset glow 
and hear the ducks and geese passing northward in the night. 

Let us all respond to Mr. Hornaday's appeal. — Iowa Forestry and 
Conservation Association. Report 1914-15, pp. 25-30. 



IOWA'S' WATERFOWL, SHORE AND MARSH BIRDS. 
By J. A. Spurrell. 

In the days before the settlement by white people Iowa abouuded in 
wild ducks, geese, swans, and all marsh and shore birds native to this 
section. Many of these birds bred abundantly in the state, especially 
in the northern part. This condition continued until about forty year.': 
ago when a rapid deicrease began. 

At the present day, but few ducks and no wild geese and swans breed 
in the state, while most of the shore and marsh birds must go ta the 
far north to breed. Furthermore, if the present craze for the drainage 
of all swamps and marshy lakes which can be drained, continues, it will 
be only a short period until no wild ducks can breed in the state. All 
their resorts will be drained. Ducks cannot breed on the open lakes, so 
much sought by human beings on hot summer days. The ducks require 
a tangle of reeds, and marshes plants of our swamps and swampy lakes, 
to furnish shelter for their nests, also to furnish food and protection for 
their young. 

When Iowa has drained all her marshy lakes and swamps, she will 
be in the position where she raises no ducks, protects no ducks (under 
the present state law the ducks will migrate north receive no protection 
because they are out of the state during close season) and yet Iowa 
takes large toll from both the northbound and southbound flocks. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 251 

Further, Iowa lies directly across the main migi-ation paths of the 
ducks of Minnesota, portions of North and South Dakota and a large sec- 
tion of the duck regions of the- prairie provinces of Canada. These sec- 
tions constitute the main duck breeding grounds now remaining, and 
in these regions spring shooting is prohibited. Yet the majority of the 
organized hunters of Iowa wish this condition to continue, as proven by 
their action before the last two legislatures when measures prohibiting 
spring shooting were introduced. The state of Iowa does not yet conform 
to the federal law prohibiting spring shooting. 

There are about one hundred thousand hunters' licenses Issued in Iowa 
every year, and the* bag limit on ducks is 25 per day per hunter. This 
makes it perfectly legal if all the hunters were out and each got his 
limit, to kill 2,500,000 ducks in one day. In addition to this the hunting 
season is 196 days long, making possible a maximum legal kill of 490,- 
000,000 wild ducks. Beyond all doubt this exceeds the number of ducks 
that pass over the state in either spring or fall. Of course the hunters 
are never all out at once, the ducks are absent in winter, and the wariness 
of the wildfowl is such that the bag limit is seldom obtained. However, 
the computation just given will show what is legally possible under the 
present state law, as there is no place in Iowa where wild ducks are pro- 
tected at all times by the game laws. 

While I admit that the present drainage district law is of great bene- 
fit to the state, and is a necessity to the state's development, I contend 
that there should be some exceptions in its application. I do not believe 
that the present generation has the right to destroy all the natural 
assets of the state among which I would include the wild waterfowl and 
the beautiful and curious plants which grow in the marshes. Since 
the state attends to the drainage of the marsh lands, she shoiild also 
attend to the preservation of portions of them. So far the state has sadly 
neglected the natural beauty and valuable wild life. It seems that if 
any marshes are preserved it will have to be by individual or organized 
effort. 

It would be an ideal condition, if there existed in Iowa about fifteen 
tracts of swamip or marsh land, of 500 to 1,000 acres each, dedicated to 
the perpetual protection and preservation of our wild waterfowl, marsh, 
and shore birds, as well as the native plants which grow in such loca- 
tions. These tracts should be under the control of the state or some 
special organization, which should prohibit all hunting and excessive 
flower plucking on them, with wardens to enforce the laws. 

If these tracts or bird sanctuaries could be ideally located, the plan 
which appeals to me would be to have three along the Missouri river, 
three along the Des Moines river, the same number along the Mississippi 
river, and three each along lines drawn north and south between these 
rivers. I doubt if it is now possible that many tracts of marsh land, suita- 
ble for bird and plant sanctuaries, are left in the state, especially in the sec- 
tions away from the rivers. Under the present drainage law it would 
be necessary to secure the control of all the swamp lands in the water- 
shed, or some other landowner could compel the establishment of a drain- 
age district. Such sanctuaries, if they are ever secured, would insure 



252 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

that a "seed stock" of ducks would escape every migration, and it could 
no longer be said, "lowans wish to kill every wild duck that flies over 
her soil," which could be truthfully said at the present time. 

Has not Iowa a philanthropist who will buy a suitable tract of marsh 
land and protect the birds and wild flowers on it? Ten years from now it 
will be too late, as there will be no marsh land left except possibly along 
the border rivers. 

The sanctuaries could be used as public parks, whenever such use 
does not interefere with the purpose of their establishment. Swamp 
and marsh land have a beauty all their own and varying with the season 
of the year. This beauty is more easily destroyed than that of wood- 
land, making necessary adequate control when used for park (purposes. 

For fear that some people will say that there are few birds and flowers 
which are found in such locations, I append a partial list of these which 
miay be found in such places in Iowa. 

The sweet^cented water lilly, bladderwort, wild iris or blue flag, three 
species of arrowhead, pickerel weed or water hyacinth, gr-een dragon 
or dragon root, cat tail flag, bur-reed, reed canaiT grass, three species of 
duck weed, fourteen species of pond weeds, and a great many species 
of rushes. 

The water-lily, iris, arrowliead, and pickerel weed are among the 
most beautiful of flowers, wild or cultivated. Around the borders of the 
marshes may be found the skunk cabbage, orange red lily, Turk's cap 
lily, closed gentian, and many others which grow only in moist places. 

Pied-billed grebe, black tern, and Franklin gull are common. Gadwall, 
baldpate, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, spoon-bill, pintail, red 
head, canvassback, the blue-bill ducks, and the buffle head are part of 
the ducks found. Sno-w geese, blue geese, Canada geese, white-fronted 
geese, and whistling swans are found. The bittern or shypoke, least bit- 
tern, great blue heron, green heron, and black crowned night heron are 
to be found nesting ot as migrants. The king rail, Virginia rail, sora rail, 
Florida gallinule, and the ever-present mud hen are found nesting there. 
Of shore birds there are many. Wilson phalarope, avocat, woodcock, 
Wilson snipe or jack snipe, dowitcher, stilt sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper 
or grass snipe, Baird sandpiper, least sandpiper, red-backed sandpiper, 
semi-palmated sandpiper, marbled godwit, greater yellow-legs, yellow-legs, 
solitary sandpiper, willet, upland plover, black-bellied plover, killdeer, 
semi-palmated plover. Of birds which are usually called land birds but 
which nest or frequent swamps and marshes there are many in numiber 
and variety. Bobolink, yellow-headed blackbird, red-winged blackbird, 
swamp sparrow, Maryland yellow-throated warbler, long-billed marsh 
wren, short-billed marsh wren, are found nesting in our marshes. The 
marsh hawks and short-eared owls also nest there. — Iowa Forestry and 
Conservation Association. Report 1914-15, pp. 70-4. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 253 

WHAT BIRD CONSERVATION MEANS. 
By T. C. Stevens. 

The Journal of April 16 and 17 contains an anonymous interview at- 
tacking the principles of 'bird conservation, and some legislation for that 
purpose, which seems to call for some reply. There are two or three 
specific points which 1 wish to review. 

I am familiar with a good deal of the scientific literature on the 
crow and the bluejay, and I am not aware that there is any great plea 
for the protection of these birds. There is a good deal of literature dis- 
cussing their value pro and con. The result of careful study seems to 
show that they are not wholly injurious. This fact, however, need not 
be twisted into a plea for their protection. Of course, gunners wish to 
have the support of the farmers, and if they can make it appear that 
the "bug bird" men are working for the protection of two nuisances, they 
know that we will suffer in the estimation of the farmer, whose support 
we also greatly desire. 

When the crow becomes so decreased in numbers as to be in danger 
of extermination, it may be time to say a word in his behalf; but there 
seems to be no occasion for that now. A great deal can be said against 
the bounty on crows or any other animals. It has proved a failure in 
practically every other state where it has been been placed on the 
statute books. In Pennsylvania under a bounty act on hawks and owls 
(the Scalp act) it was estimated that the state (by counties) lost $2,105 
for every dollar saved. However, I will not discuss this point further. 

The crow is especially exempted from protection under the state law, 
but the bluejay is not; the latter is not specially mentioned for protec- 
tion under the federal law, and there may be a question whether it is 
included by inference or not. At any rate it would be safer at present 
to refrain from killing even a bluejay. 

The gun club representative directs his attacks chiefly against the 
Audubon societies. It is true that this organization had a great deal 
to do with the passage of the migratory bird law, but the bill might 
never have been put through without the vigorous backing of the Ameri- 
can: Game Protective Association. This new bird law is supported and 
upheld also by the League of American Sportsmen, the Gampfire Club of 
America, the Boone and Crocket Club, and perhaps every other national 
org;anization of American sportsmen. The "cranks" in the department of 
agriculture are not the only advocates of conservation, by any means. 
Every true sportsman the country over, as his attention is drawn to the 
matter, heartily enlists in the cause of wild life conservation. How can 
a respectable man do otherwise? What gun club men will stand up 
and advocate shooting any spacies out of existence? 

Allow me to make one other minor correction. The reference to 
Iowa being a black spot on the map, in regard to progressive game 
protection, was not my statement, as the quotation marks clearly indi- 
cated, but was extracted from a longer article by that great pioneer in 
American game protection. Dr. W. T. Homaday. I wish tliat everyone 
might read the entire article and also his recent book on "Our Vanish- 
ing Wild Life," which is in the public library. 



254 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Now there are hunters and sportsmen. Evei-y one who buys a license 
to shoot is not a siportsmian, by a long shot. There is a certain stamina 
and principle of fair play in the makeup of a sportsman that is partly 
or wholly lacking in the hunter or gunner. The latter is only contented 
when he sees the bird or animal fall headlong to the ground. He loves 
to kill. He is saturated with blood lust. He takes no interest or pleas- 
ure in nature, with its beauties, except as it hides him from his fellow 
man while he commits murder on some small defenseless bird or beast. 
How long will our local gun clubs tolerate such sta.ndards in the name 
of sportsmanship? The mere gunner has not the energy, and perhaps 
the intelligence, to study the habits of the animal and make the hunt 
a game of skill, always giving the animal an equal chance for its life. 

A true sportsman never shoots an anintol in or on the water. True 
sportsmen are coming to realize the unfairness of the pump and automatic 
shotgun in the hunting of birds. They are the tools of the game hog. 
The sportsman is sometimes thoughtless in such matters but the game 
hog has no sense of shame. 

Now the bird lovers throughout this state do not desire to see the 
sportsmen deprived of Ms hunting. It is for this reason that we advo- 
cate moderation. Game is not as plentiful now as it was 15 and 50 years 
ago. With the settlement of the country it hasn't the chance for ex- 
istence that it had then. We cannot kill with the reckless impunity of 
earlier days, without the inevitable result of extermination. Our wild 
game will go the same road that did the great auk, the Labrador ducks, ' 
the Eskimo curlew, the Carolina paroquet and the passenger pigeon, 
never again to be seen, oa the face of the earth; to be known to future 
generations only by pictures and stuffed skins. What right have hunters 
to do this? They make the mistake in supposing that the song birds and 
insectivorous birds belong to the people who study birds without a gun, 
while the game birds belong to the hunters who pay license fees to the 
state. Nothing could be more in error. The game birds as well as the 
song birds belong to all of the people, and we have a right to demand 
that they be protected from extermination, or even serious approach 
to it. We owe this to the future just as we owe the conservation of 
the forest, the soil, the mineral resources, etc. Besides, the conservation 
of the game birds is in the interest of the sportsmen; and real sports- 
men see it clearly. 

Last year Missouri reduced the daily bag limit on birds from 25 to 10. 
Last year Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and South Dakota either ex- 
tended the closed season for quail, or gave them absolute protection for 
five years, at least. When a similar bill to protect the quail for five years 
was presented to the Iowa legislature it was defeated by a gunclub lobby 
of which our present state game warden was a member. 

Because the title to the wild life of the state rests in all the people 
of the state, and not in any class, and because all the people are inter- 
ested and concerned in the preservation of such wild life, both for 
aesthetic and economic reasons, I advocate that the fish and game warden 
of the state (or, better, a game commission) be compensated out of 
the general funds of the state, and not from a special fund created by 
the license fees of those who hunt, as is the case at present. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 255 

As I have indicated above, I do not advocate abolition of shooting. The 
improvident hunter does that by his actions. I advocate sucli restrictions 
in liunting as are necessary to preserve our wild life. These restric- 
tions are made more stringent with the settlement of a counti*y and the 
disappearance of the game. We cannot expect as good hunting as in 
the days of the Indians and Lewis and Clark. Some of the principles 
necessary for such restrictions are: 

1. Absolute prohibition of spring shooting. 

2. Reduction of daily bag limit. 

3. Prohibition of the sale of game (now in force in Iowa). 

4. Establishment of protected highways of migration. 

5. Birds should be allowed a daily resting and feeding period. 

6. Removal from the list of game birds of all birds which are rare 
or of special value to the farmer. 

7. Prohibition of the use of automatic and machine guns. Only by the 
incorporation of such principles into our state laws, and their adequate 
enforcement, can we possibly hope to save from extinction many of 
our game birds. 

I also suggest to the people of the state that the fish and game com- 
mission has many advantages over the single warden system. Such a 
commission should include a representative of the sportsmen and of the 
bird conservationists. 

Then all the deputy game wardens should be placed on a civil service 
basis, as they now are in the state of Wisconsin. Every deputy game 
warden should be an educational officer as well as a police officer, just 
as they now are in Wisconsin. The deputies should be advance in rank 
and salary on the basis of efficiency. In Wisconsin five factors govern 
the promotion of deputy game warden, viz: Faithful service, reports, 
compliatice with orders, sentiment created in favor of game protection, 
and impartial enforcement of the law. And "immediately preceding the 
examination for promotion the state game warden Avill hold a school for 
deputies at which technical and administrative problems will be dis- 
cussed." — Report of Iowa Park and Forestry Association, 1913, pp. 460-4. 



GAME PROTECTION IN IOWA. 
By T. C. Stephens. 

The subject assigned to me on this occasiooi is "Game Protection in 
Iowa." It occurred to me that this subject might be treated very much 
like the school boy treated the subject "Snakes in Ireland." However, as 
our efforts should be constructive, it will be better to avoid a considera- 
tion of the histoiT of this problem in Iowa, and endeavor to accomplish 
something in shaping a policy for the future. 

If, as a state, we have not done all that should have been done to 
prevent the extermination of our wild life, we may charge it to the 
past, and to a general lack of appreciation of the importance of action. 



256 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

In this work, just as in every other department of civic life, officials 
cannot go much ahead of public opinion in the enforcement of law. 

The extermination of any species of life, plant or animal, through 
the aggressive and destnictive agency of man is a matter which may 
well engage the serious attention of thoughtful men. Unless such 
species are universally harmful to the existence and welfare of man, their 
extinction becomes a calamity. Most of us do not understand how in- 
timately bound together are all of the forms of life; and how the inter- 
ference with any single form will upset tlie balance of the whole immedi- 
ate complex of nature, and how the effects of such disturbance go rippling 
outward in ever-widening circle«, till often the original cause is lost 
sight of. 

Man takes the wilderness and converts it into his habitation. Con- 
ditions become so changed that the larger wild life can no longer find 
food, shelter and safety. The environment is no longer fitted to their 
existence. Many forms of life are then crowded out. 

The problem which then faces man is to determine what animal forms, 
if any, can be of service in the modern and civilized scheme. Much work 
has been done in the solution of this problem; and we do not need to 
call iipon science to show us many ways in which the wild animal life 
contributes to the comfort, prosperity and welfare of civilized man. 

If one were to take the pains to catalog the various animal products 
which And a place on the market, no doubt the total wealth represented 
thereby would far exceed our most extravagant guesses. 

Without detailing the many forms of animals which furnish food, wo 
may note the immense value of furs to the human race; what, indeed, 
can take the place of furs in man's clothing? Only in certain quarters, 
as in Alaska, have adequate attempts been made to conserve the sup- 
ply of fur-bearing animals. Ix)ng ago the necessity of regulating the 
taking of food fish was recognized; and in the larger bodies of water 
this may be considered as under control. The salmon industry on the 
Pacific coast has likewise been put upon a conservative basis, with good 
prospects of its continuance. The lobster and shrimp industry on the 
Atlantic coast has interested itself in developing a rational procedure in 
the taking of this form of life. A long time ago England took control of 
the pearl^bearing oyster beds. The pearl button industry of our own and 
adjacent states has lately come to the realization that the supply of clams 
in the rivers may be exhausted. 

In our greed to obtain, we are in the habit of going after these 
animal resources just as we go after copper and gold in the earth. We 
do not stop to think that the supply of our animal resources is spread out 
upon the earth's surface, and is limited in quantity, and it seems to take 
time for the realization to dawn upon us that our animal resources, un- 
like our mineral resonrces, may be perpetuated if we only restrain our 
greed and exercise rational methods. The result of greed is inexorable. 

It is also a slow process for us to realize that our animal life may be of 
great value to us in other wiays than by yielding to us the products of 
their bodies, such as flesh, fur, hide, feathers, bones, oils, etc. We do 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 257 

not realize that often the daily activities and behavior of certain animals 
are serviceable to us in a remarkable degree; even so much that the 
animal may be of greater value alive than dead. 

In this category, of course, we place the birds, which, because of their 
peculiar habits and relations in nature, may be regairded as the most valu- 
able and beneficial of all .the animlal groups. 

We may emphasize this relation of birds to man by saying that there 
is much reason to suspect that birds may be almost indisipensable to u?. 
To those who appreciate the enormous destruction of crops by insects, 
and the prodigious fertility of these small organisms, it does not appear 
as an idle dream to predict great difficulty in the raising of crops, if the 
principal checks to the multiplication of insects were to be eliminated. So 
far as the zoologist can see, there are only two important checks upon the 
increase of injurious insects; these are predaceous insects and insectivor- 
ous birds. 

We do not need new laws for the protection of the smaller insect- 
eating birds, but we need a stronger public sentiment in favor of the 
rigid enforcement of the laws already on our statutes. The farmer 
will derive the most immediate benefit from the enforcement of laws 
protecting our so-called "song birds." Iowa, being primarily an agri- 
cultural state, should be i-eady to take a position of leadership in this 
matter of economic , zoology and practical agriculture. 

While certain rights are generally conceded to the small birds, there 
are one or two large birds which do not share in this protection of pub- 
lic opinion, because they have the misfortune to be classed as "game 
birds;" a term which usually refers to their edibility, but which should 
have quite a different significance. These birds are the bob-white or 
quail, and the prairie chicken. 

The bob-white is much too valuable a bird to be killed as game at 
any season of the year. He is one of the birds which is worth more 
alive than dead. He is known to feed upon 135 different kinds of in- 
sects, including the potato beetle, cucumber beetle, cutworms, army 
worm, wire worms, chinch bugs, cotton-boll weevil, and many others. 

It has been said that a bob-white eats about seven and one-half pounds 
of insects and 100 pounds of weed seed per year. The natural life of a 
bob-white is about ten years. Several bevies of quail on a farm are, 
therefore, desirable because of the service they render. 

But these bii*ds are on the verge of extermination in Iowa. There may 
be a few in certain localities, but there is no denial of the fact that they 
are practically disappearing. They ought to be given a closed season 
until they become so numerous as to be a nuisance. 

Very much the same general statement may be made for the prairie 
chicken. The chief of the United States biological survey says this 
bird is a "valuable ally of agriculture." Mr. Hinshaw further says of it: 
"Being non-migratory, it is state property, and its fate rests solely with 
the individual states within which it resides. Considering its past 
abundance, the fine sport its pursuit affords to the legitimate s^portsman, 
its delicacy for the table, and the valuable service it renders the farmer 
in destroying his insect enemies, the record of its treatment is a shame- 
ful one. In many states no protection whatever was given this bird 
17 



258 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

until its extinction was practically assured, while in states in which ade- 
quate legislation has been enacted, open seasons, too large bag limits and 
inadequate enforcement of the laws have produced their inevitalble effect. 
Nothing short of a closed season for a term of years will turn the tide 
and save this noble bird from extinction." 

We will hear some talk to the effect that legislation will not prevent 
their extermination ; that they will inevitably disappear with the develop- 
ment of the country, and the severe winters will reduce them, all of 
which is likely to be quite true. But it should not preclude us from 
making a vigorous effort to prolong their existence, rather than to aid 
in hastening their going. We must remember too, that the quail was an 
abundant bird at one time, if we accept the reports of the pioneers, 
when the winters were certainly no milder than they are now. The 
only difference is that the bird could maintain itself against the vicis- 
situdes of nature, but not against nature and man combined. 

Whatever will be Iowa's solution of this question, we each now bear 
a measure of responsibility. Of all the non-migratory birds not already 
exterminated within our state boundaries, the quail and the prairie 
chicken ai-e the nearest to this end, are subjected to the greatest perse- 
cution, and are receiving the least legal protection. 

Since the last meeting of this organization, a little over a year ago. 
the state legislature has held its thirty-sixth session. Very little legisla- 
tion was enacted which effected the game laws. 

The bag limit on quail and prairie chicken was reduced to 15 and 8 
birds a day, respectively. This was a step in the right direction, and it 
indicates a realization on the part of the fish and game department that 
these species are in need of some special consideration. I do not believe, 
however, that these bag limits will save the birds from extermination. 
Nothing but an absolute closed season for a term of years is likely to 
be of avail. 

It is rather difficult to understand why those who are interested should 
cling so tenaciously to the small amount of quail and chicken hunting. 

It is argued by the state game warden in his last report that to close 
the season on quail would reduce the income of the game department 
by at least $30,000. This assumes that there are 30,000 licenses sold for 
quail and chicken shooting, which would be a third of all the licenses 
issued in the state. This would be a point difficult to prove or disprove, 
but it seems to me that the number mentioned must be much over-esti- 
mated. 

It is quite certain that hunting is going to decrease with the diminu 
tion of the game. There is no uncertainty as to the diminution of game 
under the present laws. We must expect, then^fore, that the present ar- 
rangement will gradually bring ahout a reduction of income from the 
sale of hunting licenses. The game department is concerned as to 
whether the income will be sufficient to run the department. 

There are several possible solutions to this problem. First, we may 
so protect our game, and regulate the killing of it, that it may perpetuate 
itself indefinitely. Secondly, we may let the native game go its way 
to extermination, under existing laws, and depend upon imiported game. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 259 

Under both of these plans we may assume that hunting will continue, 
and that an income from licenses will be sufficient to maintain a game 
department. Stocking the covers with imported game is, however, the 
more expensive way, and doubt may be entertained as to whether enough 
hunting can be thus provided to pay the cost of upkeep. The statistics of 
the game warden's repoi*t show that in 1913, 15 per cent of the expendi- 
tures from the "game protective fund" was for "game birds;" and in 1914 
this item was increased to nearly 20 per cent. Then besides, this consid- 
eration just offered ignores the fact that these birds are good for any- 
thing but hunting, or that any other citizens than the sportsmen are 
inteirested in them. 

A third solution would be for the fish and game departm'ent to be 
financed by an appropriation by the legislature. There are two considera- 
tions which make this a sound proposition. The game belongs to the 
people of the state, not to any group or class, regardless of whether they 
ipay a license fee for taking a share of it. Game in the wild state can- 
not be acquired in the same sense that land or coal or other stationary 
resource can be. It is the property of all, and is open to the use of all 
as are the public waters. The government does not plan to keep the 
rivers improved by means of a special fund collected from those who 
navigate such waters. 

The income from the sale of licenses would, of course, go to the state 
as a reimbursement for such appropriation. Under the present system 
the income is far greater than is necessary to maintain the machinery of 
the fish and game department, as is witnessed by the balance of $131,- 
834.49 for the two years ending July 1, 1914. It must be very evident that 
where such excessive funds exist there cannot be the strong incentive to 
efficient and economic management that should be desired. 

The pecuniary argument, therefore, is that we must permit a certain 
laxity in the killing of our wild life in order to encourage more hunting 
in order that funds may be procured for the maintenance of the fish and 
game department. It is just as logical, however, to argue that as a re- 
sult of such proposed laxity we will succeed in encouraging a greater 
amount of destruction, with a definite decrease in our game; and when 
the game reaches a low ebb, the hunt will necessarily diminish, and the 
income from licenses will decrease in the same proportion. And then 
what fund will there be to support the fish and game department? Is it 
not a far more rational procedure to adopt such methods as will provide a 
moderate amount of native game by giving it sufficient protection to en- 
able it to (propagate? 

A year ago, before this organization, I gave in considerable detail my 
views on certain proposed legislation. It would not be profitable to 
undertake a repetition of this subject. But there are one or two points 
which I cannot forbear to mention. 

Because of our previous lack of appreciation of the importance of con- 
serving the wild life, we have not attached much importance to the ne- 
cessity of efficiency in the whole system of enforcing the game laws. 

I believe there are advantages in the commission plan for the admin- 
istration of the business pertaining to this department. However, both the 



260 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

commission plan and the warden plan are being used successfully in dif- 
ferent states, and it appears to be possible to secure sufficient manage- 
ment in either way. 

It seems that there would be much less probability of error in policy 
if the affairs of the game animals of the state were placed in the hands of 
a commission of variously trained men. A conservation commission 
authorized by the state of Iowa would take charge of the natural re- 
sources of the state, including the forests, the lakes, the wild life, and 
the state parks when there are any, and determine the policy with refer- 
ence to the use of these properties. Tlie promotion of such a propa- 
ganda I conceive to be the legitimate aim of the Iowa Forestry and Con- 
servation Association. — Iowa Forest and Conservation Association, 1913, 
pp. 460-4. 



CONSERVATION AND 
PARKS 



Conservation and Parks — 

Arey, M. F. 
Ball, E. D. 
CuLLEY, Frank H. 
curtiss, c. f. 
Greene, Wesley 
Hayden, Ada 
Horchem, B. J. 
Lees, James H. 
Macbride, Thomas H. 
McNiDER, Mrs. Mary H. 
Orr, Ellison 
Pammel, L. H. 
Pearse, R. J. 
Reeves, Elmer 
Shimek, B. 
Truax, T. R. 



CONSERVATION AND PARKS. 



THE EVOLUTION OF FOREST, PARK AND CONSERVATION SENTI- 
MENT IN IOWA. 

By Wesley Greene, Secretary Iowa State Horticultural Society. 

I may not be able, in a few minutes, to enframe a concept of Iowa 
for a hundred years and hold it before your mind in such a manner that 
you can see the changes that have taken place in that time, but will 
try to bring into relief some of the more important factors and set them 
in the fore-ground to give the proper perspective so you can catch a 
glimpse of the motives that impelled the early settlers to do what they 
did, while we pass rapidly over a review of this subject. 

Iowa a hundred years ago, was a possession of the Indians, however 
much it may have been claimed by foreign nations prior to that time. 
You will pardon me if I refer to two gentlemen, it was my privilege to 
know in early youth as witnesses for the first thirty years, of which I had 
no personal knowledge, who were active in transition of dominion in the 
state from the red to the white race. 

Antoine LeClaire came to Fort Armstrong in 1818 as an interpreter 
and served in that capacity in the treaty of 1832, and was the first person 
to acquire title to land and erect a building in Iowa, notwithstanding oc- 
cupancy of other adventurers who were temporarily in possession at Du- 
buque, Flint Hills and elsewhere. 

Geo. L. Davenport was born on the island in 1818 and had no play- 
mates in early life other than the Indian children that lived in villages 
on both sides of the river and learned to speak their language as readily 
as English. He staked a claim near that of Mr. LeClaire's that was in 
the days of "Squatter Sovereignty," the land had not been surveyed and 
had little commercial value. 

Mr. Davenport assisted in the treaty of 1841-2 for the purchase from 
the Indians of the remainder of their land in the state. They were re- 
moved in 1846 but not completely extirpated until 1856 at Spirit Lake. 
I have given you this much history to serve as a canvas on which to 
visualize the concept of the emotions of the people who followed the In- 
dians in the building of a great state, one of the richest in agricultural 
resources in the Mississippi valley. 

Settlement did not begin officially in Iowa until July, 1833. In 1836 
there were 10,000, in 1840, 43,000, and in 1850 nearly 200,000 people were 
within our borders. The state was admitted in 1846 and expressed its sen- 
timents and prescribed rules of action to guide its people in the Code of 
1851. Up to this time the settlers located among the tree-crowned hills 
along the streams where the forest area was estimated to cover 15 per 
cent to 17 per cent of the state. The sentiment of the pioneers was the 
same in regard to forests as that held by their forefathers; that without 
forests settlement in a new country was impossible. A glance at the 



264 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

early history of the pilgrim fathers in their struggles for existence and 
final triumph in the forests of New England and in the valley of the 
James will demonstrate their value for in the sparcely wooded region at 
St. Augustine, the oldest town in the country, little progress was made 
and that is also true of the efforts at settlement in the barren section of 
Santa Fe, and at Capistrano and Santa Barbara where the Franciscian 
Friars tried to christianize and colonize the natives. It was only under 
the fostering boughs of the friendly forests that the white race was able 
to establish itself in the westeVn continent; they supplied material to 
build their cabins, for fences to protect their crops; fuel to keep them 
warm and to cook their meal, and made it possible to secure game and 
nutritious nuts for food. The same sentiment dominated the pioneers 
in Iowa and was the governing factor that impelled, if not compelled 
them to locate in the forest along the streams in this state, until rapid 
transportation facilities made it possible for them to secure the material 
necessary for their comfort from a distance. In 1850 there were few roads 
and scarcely any bridges, streams were crossed by feiTy or at a ford. 
A yoke or two of oxen supplied the motive power and the only vehicle 
a farm wagon. Oxen were superior to horses for this purpose, though 
slower, because they could subsist on the herbage during the journey 
when their master took his noon siesta or nightly bivouac on the lone 
prairies. 

Here is the pioneer with his ox team, board shanty, or sod house 
covered with poles and thatched with long slough grass, and family in the 
foreground. With him it was not a problem of aesthetics, but of neces- 
sity. These pioneers were not Rothchilds or Rockefellers with millions 
at their command; their dollars were few and often of doubtful value. 
When neighbors came they must fence the land to save their crops, 
plant trees to protect the home from fierce winds and secure shade 
from the hot sun of summer, and to give a little privacy to the family. 
Prior to 1850 black locusts were planted for this purpose, but in time 
the borers came and destroyed them. They then planted soft maples in 
rows as they did their corn and cultivated them in the same manlier. 
Boards were too expensive to use in building fences, they were too far 
from the woods to haul rails and smooth wire would not restrain stock, 
so they sought other material. In 1860 white willow and osage orange 
were planted for this purpose. The white willow failed to make a fence, 
but served for a windbreak and for posts. The osage orange hedge was not 
a complete success because the farmers would not take time in the 
summer to prune it properly and it went into discard when barbed wire 
was invented in the late seventies, and when woven wire was introduced 
the fence problem was solved. I believe sentiment in favor of forestry 
was at ebb-tide from 1890 to the close of the century, then it turned 
toward the flow with a greater appreciation of its economic and aesthetic 
value. I cannot take time to mention the names of those who labored in- 
cessantly to save the trees and to increase the planting of them for 
decorative purposes and economic uses. It was through their untiring 
efforts that the prairies of this state have been covered with groves. 
Since 1900 a commission has been appointed, legislation secured, and 
now there are more than 16,000 acres of forest reservations under the 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 265 

care of more than 800 people, so you can see that we have been making 
some progress in recent years in conservation of the native forests of 
the state. 

The park is the outgrowth of the demand of the people in congested 
centers of population for a place to rest in the sunlight and fresh air. 
In the older cities where land values are high, parks were little more than 
squares with statuary, fountains, a few trees and flowers, but the larger 
idea of a park includes trees, shrubs with meadows and flowers and 
vistas flecked with sunlight and shadows, and all the eimbellishments 
that landscape art can supply to make it beautiful and restful to those 
weary in body and mind. In the east this larger idea of the park was 
accepted about 1850 and sentiment in favor of it has been steadily grow- 
ing throughout the country ever since. It did not receive much attention 
in this state until 1880, then cities in the eastern part began to purchase 
land for park purposes and many are now well supplied with them. Sen- 
timent now is growing rapidly in favor of state and national parks. Peo- 
ple are naturally gregarious and must get together occasionally for a 
picnic and since the land is now nearly all held by private owners they 
must get permission of the owner or commit trespass. This desire for 
public grounds has developed rapidly on account of the automobile to 
provide a place where the weary traveler may stop by the wayside for 
a few hours rest or pitch a tent and stay a week or two in some shady 
nook or near placid waters to restore shattered nerves and rest a weary 
body from the daily grind of an exacting business world. This asso- 
ciation has had much to do in creating sentiment in favor of public 
parks in this state. 

Conservation was almost a negligible factor with the pioneer, except 
the protection of his family and property. The destruction of the native 
flora has gone on rapidly, some are almost extinct. Of the fauna not much 
remains, except the cotton-tail, it and the rat seem to thrive remarkably 
well in the environments of a city. In the early seventies farmers pro- 
tested against a hoard of nimrods swarming into harvest fields when the 
grain was in shocks, shooting at chickens without regard to the rights 
of the owner, oft-times setting fire to stubbles and wounding the cattle. 
A commission was appointed and out of that effort grew our present 
regulations for taking fish and game in the state. It does seem a little 
incongruous to charge for the privilege of carrying a gun and not pro- 
vide a place to shoot, except into the air or waters of the state. 

The removal of trees from the steep hills has caused erosion and de- 
stroyed much of their value for agriculture and filled the channels of 
the streams with sediment resulting in overflows during heavy rains and 
much damage to adjacent property. But the most deplorable phase of 
the situation is the practice of befouling the water with the sewage from 
cities until self-respecting fishes cannot live therein and the life and 
health of both man and beast are endangered when they come in contact 
with it. Water is a good conveyor of dross from the home, but it should, 
not be returned to the river again until it is as pure as when taken from 
the main that supplied it. Here is real work for the medical profession, 
the sanitary engineers and chemists to remove this source of pollution 



266 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

from our rivers and thus conserve the health of the people, if they would 
retain the confidence and respect of an enlightened community. 

Let there be no cessation in our work until the water in these rivers is 
as pure as when it left the clouds from whence it came; until these 
denuded hills are reforested with trees of economic value and given 
as much care as an annual farm crop; until our shallow lakes are 
dredged and the low marshy ground adjoining them is raised and 
planted with trees for the benefit of the generations that are to follow 
us. 

In closing let me cast a ray of sunshine down the vista of years on 
that pioneer with his ox team. Behold, they have changed. Where that 
ox team trailed through the long tangled grass an auto speeds along 
roads at a greater rate than a railway train of half a century ago. The 
rough, bony cattle and hogs long, lean and strong of leg that were 
driven 10 to 40 miles on foot to market have given place to high-grade 
animals with velvety hides, and hogs that tip the scales at 300 pounds in 
less than nine months that are rushed to the shambles in an auto truck. 
The shanty and sod house have changed to mansions surrounded by 
groves, with shrubs and flowers and all that the decorated art of the 
landscape gardener can give to make them more beautiful than other 
estates beneath the shining sun. 

Great indeed has been the transformation in the last three score years 
and ten. I have lived, to see the plough turn the prairie sod from the' 
Mississippi to the Missouri river; most of its native flora and fauna dis- 
appear, but to my eyes these undulating hills covered with velvety blue 
grass and herds of high-grade cattle have more pastoral beauty than 
prairie glens with their fringe of golden rods and sunflowers and herds 
of buffalo. 

"Clasp, Angel of the backward look 
And, folded wings of ashen gray 
And voice of echoes far away, 
The brazen covers of thy book; 
Even while I look, I can but heed 
The restless sands' incessant fall. 
Importunate hours that hours succeed. 
Each clamorous of its own sharp need. 
And duty keeping pace with all. 
Shut down and clasp the heavy lids; 
I hear again the voice that bids 
The dreamer leave his dream midway 
For larger hopes and graver fears; 
Life greiatens in these later years, 
The country's aloe flowers today!" 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 267 

TOURING IN IOWA'S NOOKS AND CORNERS. 
(Iowa Magazine.) 

Take another look. at the cover picture of this issue. Pretty, isn't it? 
And yet when I showed that picture to several good friends who live in 
Burlington, they admitted that they had never stood at the foot of that 
tiny waterfalls, four miles south of town — and watched it glisten and 
sparkle in the sunshine that filtered through the treetops. 

"Looks like a little mountain valley out west," said one. 

Oh! the magic of that word "west." We lowan's love the beautiful 
in nature but we have acquired the habit of looking for these things 
almost anywhere but in Iowa. When we want a little vacation we go to 
the Rockies, the Sierras, the Adirondacks, the north woods — or some 
other equally distant playground. 

But this is war time — so let us take a two-day inexpensive vacation 
in Iowa. There are many of these two-day trips, and we will take them 
all before we get through — but as a starter we will motor down along 
the Mississippi from Davenport to Keokuk, in June. 

One of Iowa's best trans-state roads takes us to Muscatine and offers 
us a hundred fascinating glimpses of the broad Mississippi. Time and 
again the gentle lapping of the waves almost reaches the roadside and, 
if the day be warm, the shade of the bordering trees is tempting — and re- 
freshing. The kids may go wading for this is where Muscatine — the 
largest button manufacturing center in the world, procures most of its 
clam shells. If it is your lucky day, you may find a pearl or two, which 
not only would pay for your vacation, but would leave you enough to buy 
a good sized Liberty Bond. 

Prairie roses — millions of them. "What is more rare than a day in 
June" sings the poet. There is nothing in nature more fascinating than 
a day in June — in Iowa. 

All along the roadside and pell mell following the fences across the 
fields are the prairie roses — Iowa's state flower. They seem to have 
absorbed the pink glow of sunrise as they nod restlessly in the varying 
breezes they beckon us to come on and on, until in the gathering shadows 
of nightfall their colors merge with the golden tints of sunset — and they 
sleep until the morning. 

In no section of these United States is the wild rose more beautiful 
or more abundant. 

We pass the U. S. Government fish hatchery at Fairport and if our 
time permits, a welcome awaits us here. Fish are propogated here for 
restocking the lakes and rivers of the middle west — but if you decide to 
inspect the hatchery, you must leave your hook, line and sinker outside. 

The road passes through long lanes of oaks and elms and at times 
skirts the higher hillsides, giving us views of thousands of acres of 
typical Iowa farms. We may catch a glimpse of the vast tomato fields 
where the Heinz company grows the "raw material" for one of its 
famous "57." Possibly you did not know that much of Mr. Heinz's 
catsup is "made-in-Iowa." Well, it is — and this is a bit of free advertis- 
ing for him. 



268 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Then wg go up hill and down dale through the lowlands of Louisa 
county, crossing the Iowa river at Wapello, Iowa, a typical county seat, 
aggressive, ambitious and the center of a very productive farming sec- 
tion. Wapello, you know, is Harry Weaver's home, and if you are in- 
terested in pure-bred Shorthorn cattle, Mr. Weaver has one of the finest 
herds in the country — and he is a wonderful host. 

Mediapolis, in Des Moines county, is quaint and interesting and de- 
serves more time than we can give it this trip. It is a real Iowa home- 
town, and some day we will return with our camera and get to know it 
better. 

Supper time of the first day finds us near Burlington and if you are 
one of those who prefer a hotel to a tent — Burlington offers the best of 
accommodations. But we will drive on to a point about four miles south 
of Burlington where we may overlook thousands of acres of verdant low- 
lands and beyond them, watch the grand old Mississippi flowing on toward 
the gulf — and obscurity. 

One must not take a journey of this sort hurriedly. There must be no 
desire to reach a certain place at a certain time, or else you will not get 
these wonderful glimpses into the distances and across the great Father 
of Waters. Here we will pitch our tent, and eat our supper, and sleep — 
and if the weather man is real good to us perhaps we may watch the 
sunrise in the morning. 

The spot is ideal for two reasons — not only the vista, but its proximity 
to a woodpile. When you go camping, remember the woodpile. It saves- 
a great deal of effort that otherwise would be necessary when you build 
a camp fire. 

Those of you who have never cooked your meals in the open and 
enjoyed them outside the narrow limits of a dining room, have something 
left to live for. Ti*y it in Iowa some time. Buy a chicken from j 
farmer — broil it over the glowing embers of a campfire; boil the potatoes: 
fix the coffee — and, as the deep red moon emerges from behind the dis- 
tant hills and climbs upward into an unending darkness — eat your fill — 
and know what it is to be on intimate terms with nature. 

In the morning, if the sun rises in full glory, the air is clear and crisp, 
the birds sing, and all is beautiful. Continuing our journey southward, 
we hear the rush of falling waters and, looking through the trees we 
find that tiny fairyland (pictured on the front cover) so pretty and so 
refreshing that we stop the motor and venture in, wondering how many 
travelers have passed this way and seen it not. Pictures of such beauty 
spots as this are used by other states to lure the toui'ists from far 
distances. 

Our lowans spend their time and their money to visit those far-away 
places — unappreciative of what we have in Iowa. Not any of the charm 
is lost as we approach the end of the little valley, and we might well 
spend the morning here, in restful solitude, lulled to sleep by the music 
of the waterfalls. 

Another mile or two southward, we pass great fields of purple flowers, 
growing in a riot of profusion along the roadside, on the edge of for- 
ests — and everywhere. The California poppy is not as pretty as one of 
these, yet that golden flower has been so well advertised, that it is one 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 269 

of the assets o£ the Golden State — while this neglected purple beauty 
of the Iowa prairie springs into being and thrives, and withers away with 
the returning seasons, its glory unknown because its praises are unsung. 

With the wealth of Indian lore we have in Iowa, why is it our fathers 
selected such atrocious names for some of our rivers? We stop on the 
bridge for a moment to look way back into the shadows of a limpid stream 
and are disappointed when we learn it is called Skunk river. From 1843 
to 1850 Skunk river was the favorite route of the Argonauts through east- 
ern Iowa and many parties of pioneers assembled along its shores and 
prepared for a long journey to Oregon and California. 

As we cross Lee county, along i-oads flanked by receding colonudes of 
pines, we remember it was here the Mormons sought refuge in 1838. 
Driven from their colonies in Ohio and Missouri, they congregated in 
Illinois, on the east bank of the Mississippi river. There they built u 
prosperous city which they called Nauvoo, and there they devoted them- 
selves to the profitable arts of peace. In 1840 Nauvoo had more inhabi- 
tants than Chicago. 

Rounding a bend in the road, ten miles below Ft. Madison, we catch 
through the gathering dusk, glimpses of this city of Nauvoo, where the 
Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, was killed, and from whence Brigham 
Young led the pilgrimage of his people westward. Scarcely had the 
Mormons completed the building of their holy temple, the spires of which 
still pierce the fading skyline, when a storm of hate broke over their 
heads and, in February, 1846, they sold their property, came across the 
river to Iowa. 

In those days the Mormons owned a large part of the city of Keokuk—- 
all of the town of Nashville, six miles north — and most of the little village 
of Montrose. Their sojourn in Iowa was brief and all we find is 
a crumbled ruin of their former occupation. Here, on a bluff that 
rises three hundred feet above the Mississippi, they built an "institute" — 
but all that remains is this — and memory. The modern pioneer has 
transformed the site into a delightful summer resort, and called it Bluff 
Park. Artistic cottages have been placed here and there in the shelterint; 
shadows of oaks, and, from their verandas, views may be had for many 
miles across Lake Cooper, created when the waters of the Mississippi 
were held in leash by the dam at Keokuk. 

Looking up from the river toward Bluff Park, the road is pic- 
turesque. All over Iowa there are roads like this, but those who insist 
on a traveling schedule of thirty miles an hour see nothing but the 
beginning and the end of the journey — like a tourist hurrying through 
some famous art gallery, intent only on finding the doorways thai lead 
on — and out. It was just such nooks and corners as this that gave 
our state its name — Iowa, Beautiful Land, 

The road into Keokuk is the best in southern Iowa. Its macadam 
surface has not had time to disintegrate, for it was constructed quite 
recently by the men who built the great dam at Keokuk. When the 
broad Mississippi was harnessed, the backwaters flooded this section for 
many miles — farms and farm houses were obliterated, parts of the towns 
of Sandusky, Galland and Montrose were washed away, and the people 



270 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

sought refuge on the higher hills. The old road that bordered the 
river was inundated. 

We will follow this good road into Keokuk, register at the Hotel Iowa — 
one of the best hostelries in the state — and call this the end of two real 
days of war-time vacation — Iowa Magazine, June, 1918. 



SOME GEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CONSERVATION. 
By James H. Lees, Geologist. 

Iowa is usually considered as primarily a prairie state, one whose chief 
aesthetic attraction lies in the satisfaction that accompanies the outlook 
over wide-spreading grain field or level plain stretching away beyond 
the farthest ken. In a general way this is true and it is the fundamental 
factor in Iowa's agricultural supremacy. But it is equally true that within 
the limits of the state there are many spots and localities which for 
unique interest or quiet beauty or stately grandeur can scarcely be ex- 
celled within the Mississippi valley. Since these are essentially geologic 
phenomena it is my purpose to discuss a few of them from the stand- 
point of the geologist. 

Unquestionably the most attractive region in this state is "The Swit- 
zerland of Iowa," so named by the late Professor Calvin, formerly state 
geologist of Iowa, because its pictui-esque hills and deep cut valleys with 
their winding streams make of it a land comparable with the "Playground 
of Europe." No one can traverse this region or view its bold front from 
the surface of the great river which flows along its eastern margin with- 
out being impressed first of all with its ever varying charm and then-- 
if he will but pause and consider — with the marvelous history which has 
made possible such a beauty spot in the midst of the boundless plains 
of the Mississippi valley. 

The Switzerland of Iowa includes Allamakee county and portions of 
Winneshiek, Clayton, Fayette, Dubuque and Delaware counties, while 
similar phenomena, though on a diminishing scale, may be found to the 
south along the Mississippi and its tributaries. Geologically, it is the 
oldest part of Iowa, if we make exception of a very small area in the 
northwestern corner of the state, where the rock is older, though the final 
emergency from the sea may have been much more recent. Therefore, 
the series of events which is recorded in the rocks exposed in this region 
is longer and more varied than that comprised in any other area of 
similar size in the state. It extends from the deposition of the later Cam- 
brian sandstones through the varying conditions of the Ordovician, the 
Silurian and the Devonian periods with their alternating limestones, 
sandstones and shales which bespeak changing relations of sea and land, 
or possibly arid climate, as is thought by some to be represented by the 
St. Peter sandstone. But what has given to this region its rugged charm 
is the erosion which has been ceaselessly at work for ages carving deep 
valleys into the once level plains, sculpturing the massive rocks into bold 
cliffs and battlemented towers, slowly, unobtrusively, irresistibly wearing 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 271 

away loose sand or solid ledge until the present picturesque topography 
has been developed. 

This region lies in what is known as the Driftless Area, an area which 
has not been invaded by any of the great glaciers which covered the 
state, unless perhaps it was the first, the Nebraskan. Hence not only 
has the work of the erosive agents been interrupted but the region has 
not been subjected to the destructive planing action of the great ice sheet. 
So it is that the unique and beautiful forms resulting from the erosive work 
of air and water have been preserved under the most favorable circum- 
stances. In the country immediately to the west, on the other hand, such 
erosion remnants have been swept away by the repeated advance of the 
ice, the river valleys have been filled and the resulting topography is a 
level or gently undulating prairie. 

One of the striking topographic features of northeastern Iowa, one 
which becomes apparent with a glance at the topgraphic maps of the 
region and is equally evident to the traveler, is the relatively straight 
course and smooth, parallel walls of the great gorge of the Mississippi, 
which is in marked contrast with the intrenched meanders and extremely 
irregular slopes of the tributary valleys. It is as if some giant plow 
had been forced down the main valley cutting off all jutting headlands 
and leaving the valley walls steep and rugged. And this is just what 
has happened. Great floods of water from the melting Wisconsin gla- 
cier, ladened with rock, sand and silt, poured down the valley, scoured 
both floor and walls and then filled the valley to the level of the 
highest terraces of the present day. The lateral valleys, however, and the 
back slopes of the main, valley, which were not subjected to this scouring, 
have retained their older, normal erosion forms. 

There are many beauty spots in this scenic wonderland. Along Oneota 
river are the great columnar cliffs of Plymouth Rock, the vertical scarps 
at Bluffton, the ice cave and Mill Spring at Decorah, Elephant Bluff, the 
Owl's head. Mount Hope and other hills of circumdenudation. The most 
unique of all these is the Ice Cave. This is a great gap left in the rock 
by the slipping out of a block of stone along the cliff face. The lime- 
stones of the region are honeycombed with fissures and into these the 
cold air of winter is drawn, to be forced out during the warm days of 
spring and summer. Coming into contact with the moisture laden warm 
air of the cave this colder air causes a precipitation of the moisture along 
the inner walls of the cave and forms during the early summer months a 
coating of ice which sometimes becomes ten to twelve inches thick. Mill 
Spring is a gushing stream of beautifully clear cold water which issues 
from a similar, though probably smaller, rock-encumbered cavern not far 
from the Ice Cave. In times past the stream from the spring built up a 
deposit of tufa at the mouth of the little ravine down which it flows. 
There are countless other beautiful springs in the region and indeed 
every valley and ravine is a dream of beauty with flowing stream and 
towering castellated walls clothed with the beautiful green of summer or 
the glowing colors of autumn. 

In a land of universal charm a spot which stands out with especial 
clearness in the memory of the traveler is the region around McGregor 
and North McGregor, the region in which it is now proposed to establish 



272 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

a national park. Especially favored by lavish nature as to river, rock 
and bluff its charm is never ending and its quiet beauty makes an impress 
which lingers through the years. The Pictured Rocks, about a mile below 
McGregor, are an unusual phenomenon even in this land of the unusual. 
A hundred feet or more of St. Peter sandstone, stained with all the browns 
and reds and yellows and purples of the iron oxides, in contrast with the 
translucent white of the pure sand, form cliffs and grottoes and nooks of 
marvelous colors and patterns, set off by groves and lanes of shady trees. 

At Guttenberg and again at the mouth of Turkey river are high nar- 
row ridges nearly a mile in length which separate the tributary valleys 
from the valley of the Mississippi. The Guttenberg ridge is over 200 feet 
high, with a gentle slope to the south, and the Turkey river ridge is 
nearly as high and terminates in a bold rock tower which stands almost 
a hundred feet above the rivers on either side. These ridges of course 
owe their existence to the hard, resisting beds of rock which underlie 
the country, and which withstand to the last the encroachments of time 
and the destroying elements. 

And so one might continue this enumeration at great length, but it 
must be concluded with one or two more examples before passing to 
other fields. It is well known that in the vicinity of Dubuque there are 
many caves, which have been formed by the solution of the limestones 
along cracks and fissures. Some of these have yielded beautiful speci- 
mens of stalactites and similar deposits, as well as great quantities of 
lead ore, and the caves themselves are interesting featui'es. I well re- 
member my disappointment a number of years ago on going through a cave 
in the City Railway's park to find that it had been absolutely stripped of 
all its wonderful stalactitic deposits and transformed into a bare, ugly, 
electric lighted tunnel. Its beauty was irredeemably gone. Such treat- 
ment is nothing short of stupid barbarism. Just west of Dubuque, too, 
are a number of fine examples of erosion pillars which have been carved 
out of the hard Galena dolomite. Some of these may be seen from the 
Illinois Central trains standing guard as lone outposts from the main body 
which has wasted away during the ages. Such remnants bear in them- 
selves witness that no glacier has invaded the region during the long 
ages that they have been forming by the slow processes of erosion by the 
ordinary agents. 

Another form of erosion remnant, most unique in a state like ours and 
of great interest anywhere, is the natural bridges of Jackson county. 
These are formed by the incomplete falling in of the roof of an under- 
ground drainage course, whereby portions are left still spanning the 
now open valley. They are located about six miles northwest of Maquo- 
keta and together with a large cavern in the ravine they make a very 
popular resort for drives and picnics. 

Outside of the more rugged area of northeastern Iowa there are, of 
course, many isolated spots of great beauty and charm which are well 
desei-ving of the nature lover's attention. Among these may be men- 
tioned the Devil's Backbone, near the northwest corner of Delaware 
county, various localities along the Maquoketa and Wapsipinicon rivers, 
the Palisades of the Cedar, near Mount Vernon, Devil's Lane, near Mus- 
catine. Indian Spring, near Burlington, and numerous others of equal in- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 273 

terest and value. Entirely aside from their aesthetic value all of these 
areas are of importance to the geologist because of the illustrations of 
natural phenomena which they furnish, and for that reason as well as for 
others they are eminently worthy of care and preservation. 

In the great central plains area of the state there are a number of 
veiT charming spots, which are all the more noteworthy because of their 
prairie surroundings. Such are the picturesque valleys of Willow and 
Lime creeks at Mason City, where the streams have cut the limestone 
bedrock into steep bluffs and precipices which now are margined and 
covered with forest growth. On a still larger scale is the gorge of Iowa 
river at Iowa Falls. Here the river has been displaced in recent geologic 
times and has been forced to cut a new channel through seventy feet 
of solid limestone. Several small tributaries have had to undergo the 
same treatment and the result is a series of gorges and retreats which 
give the region a rare beauty and rugged charm. The older channel of 
the river is said to be still disceruable to the south of the present one. 

Steamboat Rock is another locality of geological and general interest 
and there are several others along the Iowa, such as the stretch above 
Iowa City, which owes its rugged character to the vagaries of glacial 
occupation. The older rocky hills were buried with the drift and when 
the river, whose location was determined by the topography of the gla- 
cial deposits, cut through these to the rock, it must perforce maintain its 
course and so was obliged to cut deeper and deeper into the massive 
limestones which lay athwart its path. 

Along the Des Moines are many beautiful spots, as at Estherville, at 
Fort Dodge, the high bluffs above Boone, and the delightful "ledges" below 
that city, the Red Rock bluffs at the village of the same name, the charm- 
ing bluffs at Cliffland below Ottumwa, and the numerous points of in- 
terest about Keosauqua. There is no spot in central Iowa which offer.s 
better natural facilities for a beautiful park than the area on either side 
of the river midway between Boone and Fraser. The entii'e 200 feet of 
the valley's depth shows only glacial drift, and in places the slopes rise 
from the water's edge in a single sweep and are wooded from base to 
summit. Of an entirely different sort is "The Ledges." Solid sandstone 
walls rise sheer from the water and even overhang in places, a carpet of 
verdure covers the little valley, while trees rise to the summits of the 
bluffs and form a setting for an exceedingly charming scene. The bluff's 
near Red Rock and Clift'land are also cut in sandstone of Coal Measures 
age and are of interest because of their geologic history as well as for 
their natural beauty. 

I have already spoken of the great ice sheets and of their glacial de- 
posits as effacers of those types of topography which are due to erosion. 
It is partly because of this fact that the western two-thirds of Iowa has 
so few rock outcrops and hence relatively few spots of charm and beauty. 
Aside from a few localities and those chiefly along the larger streams, 
the work of erosion since the retreat of the ice sheets has been confined 
to the glacial drift deposits, which while easily eroded give rise to the 
softer, more subdued types of landscape. 

But there is a peculiar type of topography which is intimately asso- 
ciated with the depositional work of the last, the Wisconsin glacier, with 

IS 



274 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the laying down of its load along its margin, and which consists of 
piled up mounds and intervening hollows, all without order or arrange- 
ment. This is known as the terminal moraine and along the eastern 
margin of the Wisconsin drift it is developed as far south as Hardin 
county, while on the western front it is conspicuous south to Carroll. 
An inner moraine formed during the recession of the glacier, reaches 
intermittently in a broad loop from Winnebago county south into Boone 
and Greene and north again through Palo Alto and Emmet counties. While 
it differs markedly from the driftless area of northeastern Iowa this 
morainic area has many features of great charm. Its great mounds, 
many of them bare and gravelly, but some timber covered on their slopes 
or summits, the depressions among the hills, with an occasional lakelet 
nestling calmly in quiet beauty, all of these make an assemblage which 
cannot fail to impress him who has eyes to see and a soul to appreciate 
nature's handiwork. One of these great mounds, Ocheyedan Mound, in 
Osceola county, has long enjoyed the reputation of being the highest 
point in Iowa and while apparently it must yield precedence, at all 
events it is a landmark which is visible for miles around. Pilot Knob, 
in northern Hancock county, while not rising so high above the sea, rises 
twice as high above the plains about it as does Ocheyedan Mound, and 
with its associated lakelet and timbered groves is one of the charms of 
central Iowa. 

The beautiful lakes of north-central Iowa form another group of 
geologic features which are intimately associated both in distribution 
and in origin with these moraines, and which comprise one of the most 
valued and attractive types of Iowa's localities of natural interest. Every- 
one is drawn by the quiet beauty of a smooth lying sheet of water set like 
a glistening diamond amidst low grassy shores or steeper wooded bluffs 
And so it is that our lake regions appeal to all of us and we think of them 
and their popularity with justifiable pride. 

A lake is one of the most evanescent and transient of natural phenom- 
ena. A stream may expand and increase its tributary area until it grows 
into a river; a mountain may, for a long time, at least, keep pace in its 
growth with its decay; but the destiny of a lake, and especially of a 
glacial lake, is as inevitable and as easily foretold as the destiny of a man. 
And in comparison with the vast stretch of geologic time it is as short 
lived. For this reason it is all the more imperative that we do all in 
our power to conserve the lakes we have, to lengthen their lives so far 
as in us lies, to preserve for the coming generations these gems of beauty 
in our fields of emeralds. 

You are all familiar, by experience or by reputation, with the most 
important Iowa lakes and I need but to mention them to recall beautiful 
memories to your minds. In the eastern moraine Clear lake is without 
a peer and indeed will bear comparison with any in all the lake region of 
the central United States. In the western moraine, which is much more 
extensive, the Okoboji and Spirit lake hold easy pre-eminence, but a 
multitude of other smaller ones are "held in warm regard by their local 
admirers, and certainly lack nothing but size to make them noteworthy. 
Storm lake is deservedly popular among its circle of friends. Wall lake 
has attained a wide reputation through its great wall of boulders. The 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 275 

Twin lakes of Calhoun country are centers of attraction and the same is 
true of many others in the hill country which affords them lodgement, 
such as Tuttle lake, on the state line in Emmett county, Medium lake 
near Emmetsburg, Lost Island lake near Ruthven, and others which will 
occur to your minds. 

Along with their loads of finer material some of the continental gla- 
ciers brought down from farther north immense boulders which now 
lie scattered over the surface of the drift-sheets. Some of these have 
really enormous dimensions, as for example, Pilot Rock, a boulder of 
Sioux quartzite near Cherokee, which measures on the ground sixty to 
forty feet and rises above the surface twenty feet. The lowan drift, 
in northeast Iowa, is especially noted for these monuments of bygone 
events and has more large boulders than any of the other drift sheets 
in the state. Something should be done to preserve the most notable of 
these glacial boulders in view of their unique origin and character. If 
nothing is done to prevent it they will ere long be sacrificed to the de- 
sires of their present owners for convenient building material and will 
be entirely lost to posterity. 

Closely associated with the glacial deposits of the state and yet only 
partly related to them in origin is a remarkable formation known as the 
loess. In northeastern Iowa it is derived directly from the lowan drift 
but along the western margin of the state it owes its origin to the great 
quantities of silt brought down and deposited by Missouri and Big Sioux 
rivers. From their flood plains it is picked up and carried away by the 
winds to be dropped over the clay hills in an ev.er thinning mantle 
with increasing distance from the source. I do not recall that I have 
heard or seen these loess bluffs mentioned in conservation discussions, but 
there is no room for doubt that both botanists and geologists will agree 
in commending them for careful consideration. The fact that wind 
blown deposits with thicknesses of fifty to one hundred feet have been 
shaped into such striking topographic forms as are found among these 
bluffs, and the further fact that they bear what is in reality a desert type 
of vegetation, and this in the most fertile state in the world, are facts 
which entitle them to recognition in any plans for conservation of our 
beauty spots. The beautiful park at Council Bluffs with its winding 
valleys and steep slopes is sufficient witness to what is possible with these 
loess hills, but there should be preserved in an absolutely natural state, a 
tract which would permit of the retention both of the original topographic 
forms and of their remarkable vegetal covering. Such areas are available 
near Missouri Valley, or near Turin, in Monona county, or in the vicinity 
of Sioux City, and at other localities where the phenomena are equally 
striking. 

In the extreme northwest corner of Iowa, occupying an area of not 
over five acres is a little spot which is unique in its interest. This in- 
terest arises both because of its rock exposures, which are scores of miles 
distant from any others in Iowa, with the exception of a similar one a 
mile away, and because of the fact that this rock is the oldest exposed 
stratum in the state. It is really the rock foundation upon which all 
subsequent foundations are laid. This rock is the Sioux quartzite and the 
center of its interest is the natural depression perhaps twenty feet deep 



276 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

known as Jasper Pool. This represents the greatest thickness ol; the 
exposure in Iowa although on the Dakota side of the Big Sioux the rock 
has been quarried to much greater depths. It seems much to be desired 
that along the natural bridges of Jackson county, the Waukon Sphinx, 
the great drift boulders of the central plains, this little tract might be 
conserved as a state monument, and so with the larger phenomena in 
a series of state or national parks might make accessible to all posterit.v 
the evidence of the activity of geologic forces, past and present, and keep 
before our eyes the uplifting, broadening, educative beauties of the 
realms of nature. Iowa has a gi-oup of beauty spots which she may well 
hold in esteem and to care for them and insure their perpetuation will 
increase the feeling of pride with which every lowan regards his state 
and so will add in every way to the state's resources and attractiveness. — 
Iowa Geological Survey. — Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. XXIV, p 133. 



CONSERVATION OF NATURAL SCENERY IN IOWA. 
By B. Shimek, Botan.st. 

Unfortunately the idea of the preservation of small portions of our 
state in a natural condition is commonly associated in the minds of 
many of our citizens with the thought that it is chiefly a desire on the- 
part of hunters and fishermen to save their preserves, or with the other 
thought that it is a sentimental desire, more or less selfish, to keep these 
beauty spots for the enjoyment of those who have leisure. 

While neither of these concepts does full justice to the cause, both 
are worthy of consideration, and both should receive attention in connec- 
tion with other arguments in favor of the preservation of certain por- 
tions of our state in a natural condition. The preservation of our fish 
is a matter of interest and importance not only to the sportsmen but 
to the many people who use fish for food. In order that our fine native 
fish may thrive it is necessary that the waters be kept clean and whole- 
some, and this can be done only when the borders of streams and lakes 
are left undisturbed by stock or plow. Especially is it desirable that 
wooded bluffs and slopes be not denuded of their forest covering, both 
because of the effect on erosion and on tributary springs. 

The preservation of our native birds and some of the animals is be- 
coming more and more a matter of importance. Our useful birds must 
have breeding places, and for this purpose tracts of prairie, forest and 
swamp should be set off, not merely for the purpose of propagating game 
birds, but that all of our useful birds might find shelter. Some of our 
native animals also contribute to the food supply, but even more and 
more restricted, and the time must soon come when fur-bearing animals 
will be propagated and protected. For this purpose suitable grounds 
are necessary. The skunk must have wooded banks, the muskrat re- 
quires swamps and banks of streams and these and similar places would 
be furnished by the preservation of such tracts as are here contemplated. 



;-j 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 277 

The preservation of beauty spots for recreation and pleasure comes 
from no one class, but from all of our people. We spend lai'ge sums of 
money to create artificial parks for this very purpose, why not preserve 
the natural parks which are scattered all over our state, unfortunately 
in constantly diminishing extent? The areas best suited to the purposes 
herein discussed are usually not well adapted to agriculture, and could 
be used much more profitably for other purposes. Moreover, it is not 
necessary, it is not desirable, that we cultivate every acre of land simply 
because it can be cultivated. Our homes are not restricted to places and 
provision for eating and sleeping, and our lives are not given only to 
money making. Why should we destroy every vestige of natural beauty 
in our state simply because someone may make a few more dollai's? 
Why not turn our parks into fields and vegetable gardens, and our street 
and roadsides into cabbage patches? Why not use the front yard for 
onion beds, and grow cabbages in flower pots in doors? Surely we can 
afford to use a little of our state for other than money-making purposes! 

There are, however, other good reasons for conserving some of our 
areas besides the two given. 

Our most attractive scenery is in the vicinity of streams and lakes, 
and in such situations our reservations would be chiefly made. They 
would there serve not only the purposes already noted, but by the pre- 
vention of erosion, and of the washing of miscellaneous materials into 
the water, and by the exclusion of stock, our streams would be rendered 
free from pollution, a matter of great importance when we consider the 
extent to which such waters are used by our cities and towns. The 
latter must also contribute their share by keeping all sewage out of our 
lakes and streams. 

The prevention of erosion, accomplished by permitting vegetation to 
grow unhindered along the bluffs, would avert the silting up of the 
streams and lakes which interferes with other uses of such bodies of 
water. 

One of the most important considerations in connection with the conser- 
vation of our waters is usually passed over lightly. This is the need of 
a source of supply of moisture for the atmosphere. Moisture in the at- 
mosphere is fully as essential to plant welfare as that in the soil. Our 
atmosphere is very dry, especially dui'ing the average summer. Even 
heavy dews assist materially sometimes in saving a crop, when they 
come during such a period. Not only does the vicinity of streams and 
lakes feel this influence, but vapor rising from such bodies of water is 
beneficial to all the territory. The amount may not always be great, but 
where we so easily reach a danger line even that little may be of great 
value. We should not cut down the possible source of supply of moisture 
to the atmosphere by draining our lakes. The drainage of our lakes 
should not be considered from the standpoint of the engineering possi 
bility in any particular case. This is not primarily an engineering prob 
lem, but one which has to do with atmospheric moisture, and its solu 
tion should not be left to the engineer. It is sometimes urged that cer- 
tain lakes have become foul, and hence should be drained. Usually this 
is the result of permitting cattle to enter the waters. Nothing is so fatal 
to plant life in water as stock. Plants die quickly where stock wades 



278 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

about, and the waters are soon befouled. The vegetation does not make 
such places foul. Where green plants grow freely in water there the 
water is pure, for the green plants themselves purify it not only by ab- 
sorbing materials which would pollute the water, but by setting free 
oxygen which also disposes of undesirable materials. When finally late 
in the season they die and are left stranded by the falling of the water 
surface, they decay so quickly that no evil results follow, there being 
only a little fertile material left for the next crop of plants. The foulest 
bodies of water are those to which stock has free access, and in which 
the green vegetation is soon destroyed. Yet we permit stock to enter 
freely such bodies of water as Spirit lake, the Okoboji lake, Storm lake, 
Clear lake and others, notwithstanding the fact that the water of the 
lakes is often used for domestic purposes, as is the case in Milford for 
example, and the further fact that thousands of people bathe in these 
waters during each summer season when the danger is greatest! Surely 
those who are responsible for this should not be permitted to use the 
resulting condition as a pretext or excuse for draining the impure lakes 
which result from this pi'actice. The lakes may easily be kept pure, and 
this chiefly by keeping out stock. 

There is still another reason for conserving portions of our state. 
This may not appeal to a large number of people, but it is important never- 
theless. There is need of sa\ing a part of our native vegetation under 
original conditions for scientific purposes and studies, not merely that 
the student may find plants for study, but that investigations of our 
native flora may be continued with a view of determining the influence 
of various conditions upon plant life. The native flora presents many 
advantages for this purpose, for it represents the flnal outcome of all 
the influences which have acted upon plants in time past; and it offers 
a much better measure of the value of these influences than could any 
artificially introduced and cultivated plant. The results so obtained 
are of value in their application to the control of cultivated plants, but 
the results themselves can be more readily and satisfactorily obtained 
by the study of native plants. For these purposes and for the benefit 
of the students yet to come the tracts conserved for the other purposes 
mentioned would serve very well and their desirability simply adds another 
argument to those which may be offered in favor of the establishment 
of such reservations. Our children should have an opportunity to see 
at least suggestions of what the state once was. 

In the line of positive suggestions towards the carrying out of a plan 
for the conservation of natural tracts and conditions the following 
possibilities are presented: 

1. So far as possible preserve the tracts (especially where forested) 
which border streams and lakes and use them also as game preserves. They 
may likewise serve locally as parks and local support could probably be 
secured if they were so used. 

2. On the hills bordering the Missouri valley there are still tracts 
of almost undisturbed prairie. Much of that land is not of great agri- 
cultural value. Some of these tracts should be preserved that future 
generations might have an opportunity to study and enjoy the original 
prairie. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 279 

3. None of our lakes should be drained and even the few remaining 
swamps should be considered from other viewpoints than that which 
takes into account only the possibility of drainage.^ — Iowa Conservation. 
Vol. 1, No. 3, p 52. 



FOREST AND GAME PRESERVES IN IOWA. 
By C. F. Curtiss, B. Sc, D. S. 

We have in Iowa no extensive native forest, yet we are much inter- 
rested in preserving what forests we have and in promoting further for- 
est planting. One of the best means of increasing the attractiveness of 
the farm home is by preserving and increasing tree growth. The Lin- 
coln and Jefferson highways traversing the state will carry many trans- 
continental tourists. It will be greatly to the advantage of Iowa to make 
these highways attractive by tree planting. Then we should have sev- 
eral large tracts set aside and preserved as state parks, and serving the 
purpose of fish and game and forest reserves. We have in Iowa some 
tracts admirably adapted to this purpose, already well wooded and wa- 
tered. A large fund paid in the form of hunters' and fishers' licenses has 
already accumulated. This fund now amounts to something like $150,- 
000. It would seem logical and proper to use this fund for the promotion 
of the fish and game and forestry interests of the state. The men who 
pay this fund into the treasury now get but little in return. With several 
large parks set aside and stocked with fish and game and the trees pre- 
served and supplemented by additional planting and properly guarded 
by the state policy, we would develop places that would conserve fish 
and game and forestry resources and make Iowa one of the most at- 
tractive places on the transcontinental highways between the Atlantic 
and the Pacific oceans. The tourist travel will be more largely over these 
highways in the future and a system of state parks and adornment of 
the main lines of travel may be made an asset of great value to the state. 

It is time to do some constructive work along this line, and so fortu- 
nately we have a means of doing it without additional taxation or bur- 
dens upon anyone. — Iowa Poresti-y and Conservation Association. Report 
1914-15, pp. 109-10. 



WOMEN WANT IOWA SCENERY PRESERVED. 
By Mrs. May H. McNider. 

Conservation of scenery is a live topic in Iowa today and it is our 
hope that the good work will go on not only until the proposed park on 
the banks of the Mississippi at McGregor is a reality, and the preservation 
of the other notable beauty spots of the state is assured but until tliere 
is an adequate recreation park of natural beauty in every locality. Our 
plans are directed to this end. 



280 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

We who are so fortunate as to have our homes in beautiful, fertile, 
prosperous Iowa, progressive in many ways, have lagged far behind other 
states in appreciation and care of our scenic beauties. Having also failed 
to provide for the wholesome outdoor amusements and recreation so nec- 
essary to the continued happiness and well being of any people, we are 
already suffering because of our neglect. 

The ohligation to change this short sighted and narrow policy rests 
with those who have had a broader vision and have come to realize the 
gravity of the situation. Fortunately this number is rapidly increasing. 

The Greater Iowa Association, by its enthusiastic espousal of the cause 
has given, a wonderful impetus to the work in hand and much may be 
expected from this influence in the future. 

Our clubwomen are showing great enthusiasm and readiness to work for 
the success of our national park project which is naturally of the greatest 
interest at the present time, though a study of conservation is developing 
a new feeling of responsibility for the protection of all our natural re- 
sources and beauties. 

Everywhere there is evidence of an awakening and we confidently 
expect that all organizations and individuals having the welfare of our 
beloved state at heart will rally to the support of this movement for a 
more beautiful Iowa and a happier and more contented people. 

Viscount James . Bryce, formerly British ambassador to the United 
• States, was a lover of nature and a believer in its preservation. He de- 
livered an address before the American Civic Association concerning na- 
tional parks as to the need of the future. In that address, Mr. Bryce ex- 
pressed fully and clearly many of the ideals cherished by the women 
of Iowa, who are striving toward the preservation of Iowa's scenic beauty. 

"There is only one thing better even than the city beautiful," said Mr. 
Bryce, "and that is the country beautiful. 

"I have had a great deal of experience in Engla-nd in dealing with 
these questions; for some years I was chairman, and afterwards a 
member, of a society for preserving commons and open spaces and pub- 
lic rights of way, and member of another society for securing to the 
puhlic places of national and historic interest, and in the course of 
such membership I have been led often to think of what is our duty to the 
future, and of the benefits which the preservation of places of natural 
beauty may confer on the community. That is a problem which presents 
itself, not only in Great Britain, but all over Europe, and what Europe is 
now is that toward which you in America are tending. Europe is a 
populous, overcrowded continent; you will some day be a populous and 
ultimately perhaps eveu a crowded continent, and it is well to take a 
thought at once, before the overcrowding comes on, as to how you will 
deal with the difficulties which we have had to deal with in Europe, so 
that you may learn as much as possible from our experience, and not 
find too late that the beauty and solitude of nature have been snatched 
from you by private individuals. 

"I need not descant upon that which the love of nature is and ought 
to be to each and all of us. The love of nature is the very simplest and 
best of those pleasures the power of enjoying which has been implanted 
in us. It is the most easily accessible of pleasures, one which can never 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 281 

be perverted, and one of which (as the old darky said about the water- 
melon) you cannot have too much. It is a pleasure which lasts fi*om 
youth to age. Therefore there is nothing which in the interest of pure 
enjoyment we ought more to desire and study to diffuse than the beauties 
of nature. 

"Fortunately, the love of nature is increasing among us. It is one 
of the tests of civilization that people should enjoy this simple pleasure 
instead of those more violent and exciting pleasures which may become 
the source, in extreme forms, of evil. The love of nature, I say, is hap- 
pily increasing among us, and it therefore becomes all the more im- 
portant to find means for safeguarding nature. The population is in- 
creasing, too, and the number of people who desire to enjoy nature, 
therefoire, is growing larger both absolutely and in proporlion. 

"But, unfortunately, the opportunities for enjoying it, except as re- 
gards easier locomotion, are not increasing. The world is circumscribed. 
The surface of this little earth oif ours is limited, and we cannot add to 
it. When a man finds his house is too small, he builds more rooms on 
to it, but we cannot add to our world; we did not make it, it was made 
for us, and we cannot increase its dimensions. All we can do is turn it 
to the best possible account. Now, let us remember that the quantity of 
natural beauty in the world, the number of spots calculated to give en- 
joyment in the highest form, are limited, and are being constantly en- 
croached upon. 

"There are four formes that this encroachment takes. There is the 
desire of private persons to appropriate beautiful scenery to themselves, 
by enclosing it in private grounds around their houses and debarring the 
public from access to it. We in England and Scotland have lost some of 
the most beautiful scenery we possess because it has been taken into 
private estates. 

"Then the enjoyment of natural beauty is largely encroached upon by 
the operations of lumbermen. I do not blame them; timlaer is wanted 
and they want to drive their trade but the process goes on too fast and 
much of the charm of nature is lost, while the interests of the future 
are forgotten. 

"And lastly there is the question of water power. Fortunately you 
have a great supply of splendid water power. I am far from saying that 
a great deal of it, perhaps most of it, may not be very pi^operly used for 
industrial purposes, but I do say that it has been used in some places to 
the detriment and even the ruin of scenery. It has been used in Niagara 
for instance to such an extent as to change completely the character of 
what was once the most beautiful waterfall landscape in the whole 
world. 

"Taking all these causes together, you can see how many encroach- 
ments there are upon the unique beauty of your country; and I beg you 
to consider that, although your country is vast and has scope of natural 
beauty far greater than we can boast in little countries like England or 
Scotland, even your scenery is not inexhaustible, and with your great 
population and the growing desire to enjoy the beauties of nature, you 
have not any more than you need. Fortunately, you have made a good 



282 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

beginning in the work of conservation. You have led the world in the 
creation of national parks. 

"Now, a word about additional parks. Although you have done splen- 
didly in creating some, there are still other places where national parks 
are wanted. If the automobilist wants to be whirled along the roads, 
let him have his way, but keep wide sylvan spaces where those who seek 
quiet and the sense of communing with nature can go out in the early 
morning from the city and spend a whole day enjoying one spot after 
another where nature has provided her simple joys, mingled shade and 
sunshine, the rustling of the leaves, and the songs of birds. Such things 
in life the man of the cities can have, and when nature ha.s provided it in 
such bountiful measure would it not be a shame to lose the benefits she 
offers ? 

"I am sensible that I may be perhaps accused of treating this sub- 
ject in a somewhat sentimental way. Well, I confess, I am not address- 
ing my arguments to those who think that man lives by bread alone, or 
who thinks there are no values except those measured by dollars and 
cents. It is because I believe the members of this association are not 
of that mind that I venture to address these considerations to you. 

"And let nue try to give some logical quality to my statements by sub- 
mitting some few propositions in order. 

"The world seems likely to last a long, long time, and we ought to 
make provision for the future. 

"The population of the world goes on constantly increasing and no- 
where increasing so fast as 'in North America. 

"A taste for natural beauty is increasing, and, as we hope, will go on 
increasing. 

'The places of scenic beauty do not increase, but, on the contrary, 
are in danger of being reduced in number and diminished in quantity, 
and the danger is always increasing with the accumulation of wealth, ow- 
ing to the desire of private persons to appropriate these places. There is 
no better service we can render to the masses of the people than to 
set about and preserve for them wide spaces of fine scenery for their 
delight. 

"From these propositions I draw the conclusion that it is necessaa-y to 
save what we have got, and to extend the policy which you have wisely 
adopted, by acquiring and preserving still further areas for the perpetual 
enjoyment of the people. 

"Let us think of the future. We are trustees of the future. We are 
not here for ourselves alone. All these gifts were not given to us to be 
used by one generation, or with the thought of one generation only before 
our minds. We are the heirs of those who have gone before, and charged 
with the duty we owe to those who come after, and there is no duty 
which seems clearer than that of handing on to them undiminished facil- 
ities for the enjoyment of some of the best gifts that the creator has be- 
stowed upon his children.'' 

The Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs has a special division on 
natural scenery, of which Mrs. Charles H. McNider, of Mason City, is 
chairman. The ccnimittee is made uip of the following: Mrs. Joseph M. 
Casey, Ft. Madison; Mass Lena Roach, Rock Rapids; Miss Lesley B. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 283 

Artis, De Witt; Mrs. Bernice Lacey Sawyer, Oskaloosa; Mrs. Burt J. 
Thompson, Forest City; Mrs. A. W. Murphy, Shenandoah; Mrs. Leonard 
Everett, Council Bluffs: Mrs. J. C. Jackson, Iowa Falls; Mrs. John Mul- 
hall, Sioux City; Mrs. J. L. Etzel, Clear Lake. — Iowa Magazine, Jan., 1917, 
pp. 15-16 and 42. 



CONSERVATION OF PRAIRIE 
By Ada Hayden. 

Iowa is said to be a prairie state, but what is a prairie to the present 
generation? Within 40 or 50 years, the broad stretches of tall shining 
grass trembling in the sunlight or tossed by the breezes into billowy 
waves, gorgeous as the season progresses with its pageant of brilliant 
hued flowers. A flint now and then picked up from a gravelly knoll re- 
calls the feathered, moccasined, swift footed dweller of the plains. But 
he has passed on to happier hunting grounds and the prairie too is fast 
passing. 

The goddess of agriculture has banished the prairie and over it spread 
green fields of shimmering, rustling, yellow tasseled corn, acres of tawny 
oat shocks, and ragweed covered pastures. The buffalo which sniffed 
the iprairie fire and raced madly to shelter from this red tongued fury is 
now succeeded by the cow, a dweller of the resplendent red and white 
striped barn. A network of highways corrals the once wild expanse 
and down the dusty way throbs the busy beetle-like car. 

Few but the farm boy and the meadow lark know where the swamp 
now lingers, where the marigolds glitter in the marsh, where the red 
bix)wn knoll, fanned by the winds of March, turn pale lavender as the 
ipasque flower wakes in the spring. Then as the splashing drops of 
April have carried the fragrance of these March flowers far, the grassy 
slope as a magic carpet is blue with violets. With June, the scarlet lily 
as torches, light the slope. The blazing star marks the zenith of July, 
and sunflowers and golden rod herald the climax of the summer, and the 
azure gentian, like pools of sky dropped down, bask in the warm October 
haze. So passes the panorama. 

Now comes the plowman, and these little communistic bits of beauty, 
the handiwork of a thousand years, which no man has yet created, is 
folded away, to return only as corn and dollars. 

True it is, the people of the country-side have increased their wealth 
and commodities through the produce of the soil and their prosperity 
stimulates the pulse of industry. That there is a necessity for the in- 
crease of food and fiber products is evident. Tillable land we already 
have, but labor we have not, adequate for the proper care of already 
broken land. 

The activities of life have increased in complexity and resiponsibility, 
hence the greater the intensity of life, the greater is the need of in- 
spirational forces. An isolated patch of New England daisies along an 
Iowa railroad right of way, drew throughout its flowering period a throng 
of admirers from the town. Strangers unacquainted with the prairie 



284 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

come to explwe these fascinating relics of the past. Scientists travel 
long distances to study it. Greenhouses capture some of these plants 
from the wild, tra!nsplant such as will endure, into captivity. The 
metropolitan, who lived in the old homestead, wanders back again to the 
haunts of the meadow lark to renew the images gathered in his youth, 
only to find the source transformed into hogs and corn. 

Shall this bit of Eden be preserved only in literature? Most men after 
they have succeeded in the elimination of natural beauty seek to re- 
instate it in some form of planting from the nursery. But what florist 
with all his skill can create or maintain such a panoramic bit of loveliness? 
Beauty is constantly sought, though the inaccessible seems to greatly en- 
hance the pursuit. 

The prairie flora is an inspiration to men and most prized when gone 
forever. Savage tribes hand down legendary narrations of their environ- 
ment and customs. Should not we do more than incorporate these natural 
gardens into literature and legend? Preservation of a few acres in each 
county could be accomplished without encroaching upon economic prod- 
ucts and secure to the present and to the coming generations a heritage 
from which no individuals are justified in depriving them. Such reserva- 
tion of prairie if made near the larger schools would be useful for study. 
Wherever located they would be availabe to the auto traveler. Other 
areas which do not conflict with private estates are the railroad rights 
of way. Railroads spend thousands of dollars in making beautiful parks 
at their stations, but what park planting can equal a mile or two of flam- 
ing Turk's cap lily which frequents the damp native prairie in July, or 
the white beds of nodding anemones, the red and white sweet william, 
the purple patches of gauzy spiderwort, the gorgeous butterfly weed, the 
glowing goldenrod, and the banks of stately, radiant sunflower. All these 
plants are carefully cultivated by florists in parts of the country where 
they are not native. Why not preserve now at a small cost what can not 
be replaced at any cost? 



ACTION ON STATE PARKS BY THIRTY-SEVENTH G. A. 
By B. J. Horchem, State Senator. 

Although the Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association did not 
realize its full recommendations as outlined at a special meeting held at 
the opening of the last session of the general assembly, the passage of 
the act, providing for the establishment of state parks, is one whose value 
the entire population of Iowa will appreciate and will be more and more 
proud of as the years go by. Much credit is due to the untiring efforts of 
such far-seeing and public spirited men like Senator Chase and Senator 
Holdoegel. 

It will be noticed that through this act Iowa can secure public re- 
servation in three ways: 

(1) The fish and game warden, by and with the consent of the executive 
council, can establish public parks in any county. By appropriating $50,- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 285 

000 out of the fish and game protective fund, the executive council shall 
have power to purchase or condemn land for such purpose and to pur- 
chase and condemn land for roads leading to such parks. 

(2) The executive council is empowered and authorized on behalf of 
the state to receive donations of land for either park or highway purposes. 

(3) The state treasurer shall have authority to receive and accept, on 
behalf of the state, donations (cash) for either purpose. The donor may 
specify the place and the purpose for which the donation is to be received, 
used and expended, and that it shall not be used for any other purpose. 
Every park has a definite purpose to serve and should therefore have 
definite requirement. 

We have the start at least to acquire and to hold for the benefit of all 
the people — 'both the present and future generations — ^and our Influence 
should be exerted so that It will become wide-spreading and far-reaching 
so that anyone having in mind a beauty spot, a forest, a lake, or any 
place which may prove valuable as a future possession to the state may 
realize that it can be donated or that it can be bought and donated to the 
state. Tliat such place will then belong to the people and that it will be 
held in trust by the state for its people. What grand monuments can be 
established for those who wei'e near and dear! What possibilities to 
check any further action that would impair the beauty of such places! 

Our immediate duty is to see that we secure the aippointment of three 
good members for the board of conservation, who, with the curator of the 
historical department, shall investigate places in Iowa, valuable as ob- 
jects of natural history, forest reserve, as archaeology and geology, and 
for considering the means of proimoting forestry and maintaining and 
preserving the animal and bird life in this state and for furnishing such 
Information to the executive council of the natural resources of the state, 
so that the recommendations can be printed and furnished to the mem- 
bers of the next general assembly; also to get its people to consider their 
natural possessions, and to authorize the board of conservation as soon as 
may be, the refusal of the most attractive resei'vations. 

A little can be done here, a little there and a little somewhere else, and 
all gather together in a great current of public influence so that when the 
state becomes inhabited to its full capacity it can boast of (plenty of avail- 
able land for public purposes, and that it belongs to all the people. 

Efforts should be made to acquire in its various parts a number of 
parks which will be perpetually the breathing grounds to be freely and 
fully used by all the people of the state. Let us arouse to the needs 
which parks and people's playgrounds represent in the people's life. 

The Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association has shown a splendor 
of vision and a quality of power and speed that proved beyond expectation 
during the last year. This was a most valuable constructive piece of 
legislation, for in a short time likely the children of the city will find 
in the woods and the public parks, the only opportunity within reasonable 
distance of their homes to enjoy the beauty and re.stfulness of the forest, 
the lake, and other peculiar beauty sipots and which should therefore be 
permanent means of wholesome public enjoyment. 

Let the good work go on. 



286 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

PARKS IN CONNECTION WITH STATE HIGHWAYS. 
By L. H. Pnmmel, Botanist. 

It is generally conceded by everyone that the American people, as a 
nation, should give more attention to the subject oi recreation. With an 
ever increasing popiulation, the demand for recreation will become greater. 
It is an important question how to reach the great body of our people. 
It occurs to me that we have a rare opportunity to make use of the state 
highways by producing small park areas at convenient distances. Dr. 
Macbride said somewhere, "The absolute need of the milder healing in- 
fluence of natural beauty to our eager, anxious, overworked, care-bur- 
dened, gain-'seeking, I have elsewhere found occasion to discuss." 

It is a fact that no other state in the Union, perhaps, has so large a 
per cent of its area under cultivation as the state of Iowa. This means 
that little land is left with free access for the people which can be used 
for recreation purposes. The user of the public highway is quite familiar 
with the many signs which read, "Keeip out of these premises," or "No 
trespassing allowed." These signs admonish him that the grounds are 
not for' public use. There is good reason why the farmer or the owner 
of a piece of woodland should object to having his land used fioir puhlic 
purposes. It is aggravating to say the least, that private ownership is 
often not respected. It often happens that the man or woman who makes 
use of woodland grounds is careless about closing the gates. They often 
break the wires of the fence and scatter paper and other litter over the 
grounds, thus causing damage and annoyance to the owner. We all recog- 
nize that owing to the automobile, travel on the highway has increased 
many times. The highway in modern times is fast assuming the same 
importance to the community that it did in the settled countries of Europe 
before the introduction of the railway. In another decade the use of the 
public highway by automobiles will be doubled and probably trebled. The 
automobile is the means of bringing the people from the different scat- 
tered communities together. Good highways, more than ever, will be used 
for the pleasure a person will find by travel on a given highway. The 
amount will depend on the character of the highway itself, the beauty of 
plants, the hillside bedecked with sweet william, rose, aster, goldenrod and 
sunflower, as well as the ornamental shrubs and timber. 

The man who wants an outing on Sunday afternoon v^ill enjoy taking 
his family to ipicnic somewhere in the woods. He will not select the 
dusty roadside, but a nice, clean, comfortable place where the tablecloth 
can be spread on the green sward of grass. Where can he now get thir- 
in Iowa, except as he gets permission from the owner of the woods? Some- 
times this permission is given and sometimes it is not. 

My argument, then, is this, that the state should own a small tract of 
woodland in every county in the state, along the main state highways run- 
ning north and south and east and west. This land need not be the mosr. 
expensive in the county. The rough land where little valleys and brooks 
occur is just as good and perhaps better than smooth, level, prairie, land. 
It should have native timber and bo sufficiently attractive for the family 
to really enjoy its beauty. The wild flowers should be permitted to grow 
in profusion. They add charm to the countryside in springtime, summer 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 287 

and fall. The child will appreciate the beautiful and in old age will re- 
call tlie pleasant memories of long ago. The area of land bought for 
each of these community parks need not contain more than twenty or 
twenty-five acres. 

The county park idea was advocated by Professor T. H. Macbride in 
1896, in these words: "All of u« in one way or another know something of 
the monotonous grind which makes up the lifelong experience of by far 
the larger number of our fellowmen. On the farm, in the shop, in the 
mine, day after day, one unceasing round of toil, into which the idea of 
pleasure or freshness never enters. How many thousands of our fellow- 
men, tens of thousands of our women, see nothing but the revolving steps 
of labor's treadmill, day in, day out, winter and summer, year after year, 
for the Whole span of mortal life? This is especially so here, in these 
western states, where the highest ideal is industry, the highest accom- 
plishment is speed. Our rural population is wearing itself out in an effort 
to wear out 'labor-saving machinery.' 

"A county park well kept and cared for would be a perpetual object les- 
son to the whole community, would show how the rocky knoll or deep 
ravine on one's own eighty-acre farm, might be made attractive, until 
presently, instead of the angular maiple groves with which our esthetic 
sense now vainly seeks appeasement, we should have a country rich in 
groves conformable to nature's rules of landscape gardening if not to na- 
ture's planting." 

Later, in 1915, Prof. M. F. Arey said: "In a rich and progressive state 
like Iowa, there ought to be found a way of combining with suitable modi- 
fications, the best features and characteristics of both the city and na- 
tional parks. How can this better be done than by means of the country 
parks? In the average city park, useful as it may be, there is not enough 
of nature at her best to gratify the inlierent longings of men, women and 
children for change, rest, something that attracts, cheers, uplifts, if only 
for a few hours. Multitudes have neither the time nor the means to go 
to the country, to the mountains, the forests, or the seasore. They can 
take a day off for a family, neighborhood, township or country picnic; for 
a club meeting, rally, or convention and be the better for it. There is too 
little of social intercourse measurably freed from formality and the con- 
ventional, a kind of sociability that ministers often to the completest re- 
freshment and inspiration." 

These parks necessarily will have to be located with reference to 
permanent roads, and in time each park will have a lodge. The lodge 
should have some comforts and accommodations for the public. There 
should also be a keeper whose duty it would be to look after the upkeep 
of the park. Sites should be selected with a spring of running water. If 
this cannot be had then a good, deep well should be provided. If possible, 
of course, some arrangement should be made for the keeper of the lodge, 
with the highway commission, to patrol the highway. 



288 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

COUNTY PARKS AND FORESTS. 
By Elmer Reeves. 

A few years ago such a thing as a county park would hardly have been 
thought of and would not have been advisable, but with the present 
methods of travel over the country roads such a thing seems not only 
practical but a very desirable thing. In a county of average size the oip- 
iposite corners are but forty-eight miles apart and a park at all centrally 
located would be only an hour's drive from almost any part of the county. 
This would permit the people of the wliole county to gather for conven- 
tions, picnics, and other meetings of general interest. A community in- 
terest oould be developed to which Iowa has so far been a stranger. We 
hear of large gatherings of Iowa people in other places and why not have 
these at home. The county park would serve to arouse an interest and 
get them started, and if large meetings of a general interest are once 
established they would be popular enough to become permanent. Each 
city has its park and even the village aspires to the ownership ot a piece 
of ground they designate as a park. These are often sadly neglected 
spots and of but little use and too small to serve the need of a county 
gathering or the other uses to which a real park may be put. I would 
picture a county park as a place large enoug'h not only for public gather- 
ings, but, as my subject suggests, a forest as well — a place where all the 
native trees are allowed to flourish and all the plants that grew in pioneer 
times are encouraged to multiply. 

There was a wealth of native plants in the woods of pioneer times and 
while many sorts are no longer seen, they would largely reaippear if given 
tlie chance. There were the little creeping tilings that grew in low dark 
places and gave a succession of bloom from earliest Avarm days of spring, 
the upland flowers of bnghter and more showy appearance, and innum- 
erable plants of interesting growth and habits, among which the lover of 
nature could spend days of delight. In the openings were the sunflowers, 
goldenrod, asters, and many other attractive plants that many class as 
weeds but which are being sought by landscape decorators. There were 
the bramble patches where the i*ed and black raspberries ran riot and the 
wild blackberry gave more lusicious fruit than is usually grown in our 
gardens. Elderberries showed a wealth of bloom in early summer and, 
later in the season, their no less attractive pannicles of black fruit, which 
formed the foundation for the pies of our boyhood days, were fully ap- 
preciated. There were thickets of plum where the bloom resembled a 
bank of snow and, later, the loads of fruit, of variable quality, but much 
of which was equal to any grown in our orchards of the present time. The 
thickets of wild crabapple when in bloom gave a profusion of beauty and 
a fragrance that oould not be matched in any climate. 

There were the sumacs, tall growing and coarse shrubs, but which 
are now catalogued as choice ornamentals in foreign countries; the wealth 
of roses, some of low growth and others climbing high and covered with 
niasses of bloom as beautiful as any of the double beauties of our gar- 
dens and of a fragrance to which the latter are strangers. Most of the 
roses bloomed in June but some continued through tlie summer, .so in this 
there is nothing new under the sun. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 289 

Then you remember the great ipatches of hazel where loads of nuts 
could be gathered each fall; the hickorj', walnut, and butternut trees 
loaded with their stores for winter use. 

These are but a few of the many things found in profusion in the native 
forests. In the bits of forest that commercialism has left us we can see 
but a hint of the original beauty of these places. Why not restore some 
of this native beauty so that there will be one place in each county at 
least where daily cares may be forgotten and the beauties of nature en- 
joyed by all? 

Varying conditions will be found in the different counties but I am 
sure that some tract could be found in each county, centrally located, 
that, if secured by the public and properly looked after, w^ould be a 
source of enjoyment and pride to every citizen. In Bremer county there 
is a tract located to the southeast of Waverly and reaching to the town 
of Denver, which would make an ideal county park or forest reserve. 
Some ten to fifteen sections of land could be included in this reserve. A 
small (part could be secured to start with and tMs added to as circum- 
stances would warrant. This tract was originally in timber and was 
known as the "big woods." It is hilly ground and watered by several 
streams, making as beautiful place for an afternoon drive or for wander- 
ing through patches of woods that still remain, as there is left in Iowa. 
This was bought mostly by farmers living a few miles away and owned in 
five and ten acre tracts and held as wood lots to supply fuel. Later, as 
the trees became scarce, these tracts were bought up and an attempt at 
farming made upon the clay hill sides and among the stumps. As a rule 
not much of a success has resulted. Bordering this tract is a stretch of 
gently rolling prairie land where the finest farms are to be found. The 
farm houses are modern — many being supplied with gas or electric lights, 
while immense barns, silos, and droves of contented farm animals are in 
evidence. 

On the clay hills in the "big woods" region the contrast is plain. Some 
farmers have struggled on to a degree of success but the results of a ma- 
jority of residents show the land to be poorly adapted to general farming 
and better suited to the growing of forest trees. I might describe some 
of the places to be seen on the hillsides but you would hardly credit the 
facts. You would certainly think I was describing something outside of 
Iowa and entirely foreign to Bremer county. A man riding through this 
tract once turned and asked, apparently in all candor, "when did we cross 
into Missouri?" For this I must beg the pardon of our neighbors to the 
south and go on with my story. 

Suppose this tract was secured as a forest reserve. Owners would be 
paid for their holdings and competent men placed in charge to protect the 
trees now growing and plant the barren places. Quantities of acorns, wal- 
nuts, butternuts, etc., could be planted each fall. Seeds of elm, ash. 
maple, and other trees could be scattered in season and the whole soon 
covered with a vigorous growth. Shrubs and wild flowers would reap- 
pear and we would again behold the beauty of nature. Present roads 
could be maintained and the public invited to look and enjoy. Hunting 
and fishing could be under proper restrictions and pavilions provided for 

19 



290 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

shelter and use of picnic parties. Pasturing in tliis tract would be pro- 
hibited and a rich heritage passed to future generations. 

This may all seem like a wild dream but it is entirely practical. Tbe 
expense could be easily borne by a general tax and when fairly started the 
income from sale of matured trees would pay more than cost of main- 
taining. Northeast Iowa is to have a forest reserve park. This has been 
held in reserve for years through private interest and why should not all 
parts of the state share in a like enterprise? This is still a new and 
pioneer country and very much undeveloped. Hunters and the public 
have been allowed to roam over private propetrty at will but this cannot 
always be and if people are to have a place for recreation it must be pro- 
vided through public enterprises. The sooner this is done the better, as 
delays will cost in money and loss of material. The legislature can make 
provision for this the same as they did for a soldiers' memorial, and 
each county be allowed to start when ready. There is nothing more at- 
tractive than a well kept farm, but not all our land and attention should be 
given to the purely commercial side of ouir natures. Recreation is needed 
by all and the kind this would provide would be better than any other that 
can be devised. Let us have a forest reserve park in every county of the 
state and begin at once on a scale that would be a credit to the country. — 
Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association Report 1914-15, pp. 143-7. 



COUNTY PARKS. 
By Melvin F. Arey, Geologist. 

The term "park" as popularly used has reference to tracts of land of 
varying extent set apart for public resorts, for recreative and other pur- 
poseis. Great landed estates in Europe have had their parks for cen- 
turies but the people had no access to them. Free public parks are of 
comparatively recent origin. Few city parks in this country date back a 
hundred years, yet within the last fifty years they have met with such 
favor and appreciation that there is scarcely a city or village of any pre- 
tentions in the whole wide land that does not have something answering 
the idea of a park, though in too many instances the true purpose of the 
park has been peirverted. In the main, parks in this country are repre- 
sented by city parks which are intended to serve local interests only or 
by national parks which are few in number and which, because of their 
location, are accessible to relatively few people. Manifestly the gap be- 
tween these is too great to meet the urgencies of the people both of the 
town and country. It was with this in view that Mr. Foster, a few years 
ago, set forth in a paper before this association the claims of township 
parks. The grounds presented for the establishment of such parks were 
sound and sufficient to warrant at least the experiment, in a few instances, 
but somehow there has been little, if any, response anywhere in the state. 

In a rich and progressive state like Iowa there ought to be found a way 
of combining, with suitable modifications, the best features and character- 
istics of both the city and national parks. How can this better be done 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 291 

than by means of the county parks? In the average city park, useful as 
it may be, there is not enough of nature at her best to gratify the inherent 
longings of men, women and children for change, rest, something that at- 
tracts, cheers, uplifts — if only for a few hours. Multitudes have neither 
the time nor the means to go to the country, to the mountains, the forests, 
or the seashore. They can take a day off for a family, neighborhood, 
township or county picnic; for a club meeting, rally, or convention and be 
the better for it. There is too little of social intercourse measurably 
freed from formality and the conventional — a kind of sociability that min- 
isters often to the oompletest refreshment and inspiration. 

The county park should be of ample extent. Any county can well af- 
ford at least a section of land for such a purpose. More would be better — 
and better in a sort of geometric ratio. Its location should be determined 
not by the mere convenience of any locality or localities. Other things 
being equal, the more nearly central it is the better, of coui-se. but sacrifice 
of genuine park attributes for the sake of saving a few miles to some 
portion of the peofple would be fatal to the very end for which it exists. 
The extent of the average Iowa county is not so great as to make inac- 
cessible any portion of it from all other portions in these days of raili-oads, 
interurban trains, and automobiles. Varied and unusual topography along 
or including a stream or pond of water is of almost vital importance in a 
park of this kind. I only say "almost" because I am aware that such 
conditions do not exist in any striking degree in some Iowa counties, and 
yet they ought to have their parks emiphasizing such favorable conditions 
as they do have to the fullest extent. Level stretches along the water 
side, rugged slopes gashed with ravines and ample upland areas should 
be found in the county parks if possible, to give variety of sight and soil 
for trees, shrubs and flowers. Wooded areas with occasional open spaces 
for play grounds, for an athletic field, oir merely for beauty and variety 
should prevail. Drives and pathways, only sufficient to make all parts 
reasonably* accessible, should be provided. Here and there a tree that 
promises in the years to come to reach majestic proportions or to present 
in an unusual degree the typical characteristics of the species to which it 
belongs, should be favored with room for unrestricted development, for in 
these days it is all too rare to see a tree at its best — and a tree at its best 
is as inspiring and impressive as a mountain or the ocean. 

The park as a w'hole, or at least some part of it, should serve as an 
arboretum in which every specie of tree, vine, and shrub that will grow 
in such conditions as the park affords, should be found ultimately. Wild 
flowers of all kinds should be encouraged. In places nature should be al- 
lowed to run riot. Elsewhere there should be some thinning and trim- 
ming that there may be open woods as well as thickets, giving opportunity 
for the breezes to enter and the sunshine to filter through, thus favoring 
those plants to which both sun and shade are welcome. 

Vistas should be opened up and every device for giving variety and in- 
terest should be adopted in places, as opportunity may suggest, but care 
will need to be taken that these devices do not develop into pixjnounced 
and offensive artificiality. Naturally such a place would be the ready re- 
sort of birds and interesting animals in great numbers and variety, pro- 



292 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

vided provision be made for their safety and freedom from molestation, 
thus increasing, manifoldly, the attractions of the park. 

I have said nothing of the educational value of the county park, but it 
oain readily be seen that no one could visit such a place w^ithout some- 
thing new and interesting being presented to his attention. To the 
young it would be an inspiration and incitement to become better ac- 
quainted with all that offers itself that is new and striking. The teachers 
of botany, zoology, and nature study, in both town and country schools, 
would here find unusual and charming opportunities to illustrate their 
work and to stimulate their pupils to new efforts. 

The principles of foresti-y would here find exemplification. Portions 
of the ipark should be treated with this specially in view. It would be 
just the place for lectures on the subject and for developing some of its 
practical phases. 

In fact a county park would in one wa.y and another benefit every in- 
dividual of the county if he would have it so, and I am not sure but that 
it would do so anyway. Unlike a public building or monument, a public 
park of the kind I have so briefly and imperfectly brought to your atten- 
tion would never be at its best in your lifetime but its value would in- 
crease with the years. Improvements must be made from time to time. 
It would itself suggest some of these improvements with the changes that 
naturally take place. Men would discover new features that might be 
added as they study the subject and they would study the subject as ap- 
preciation of its importance develops. 

A word should be said as to the administration of such parks. It may 
be that legislation will be needed before county parks can be established 
and administered. However, that may be, there will be found a necessity- 
for rules and regulations in order that flowers, shrubs, trees, and birds 
may not be disturbed unduly. It is unfortunate that civilization has not 
yet reached the stage where carelessness, self seeking, and mischief mak- 
ing for mischief's sake are not found in all too many individuals. A coun- 
ty park without restrictions and oversight would afford all such an oppor- 
tunity to make the county park a mere waste place with nothing to recom- 
me.nd it above the neighboring pasture or woodlot. — Iowa Forestry and 
Oonservation Association Report 1914-15, pp. 138-142. 



COMMUNITY CENTER ENTERPRISES IN RELATION TO STATE 

PARKS. 

By R. J. Pearse. 

Community enterprises are the basis of the social life of the Iowa 
farm home; without them farm life reverts to the individaul "catch who, 
or catch as catch can," methods of existence; with them the entire farm- 
ing population of the community is molded into a unit for the definite 
benefit of the community as a whole and not for any individual person or 
persons. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 293 

Community property develops and increases vei-y slowly: First, be- 
cause of tlie proportionally small number of people wbo live in a farm- 
ing community in relation to the number who live on the same area in 
the city; second, lack of decision as to what form of community activity 
is of the most benefit; third, lack of appreciation on the part of some 
"chronic kickers" of the value to the community of such public enterprises, 
and fourth and possibly the most important, lack of grounds for com- 
munity enterprises development. 

With this idea in mind it is not hard to understand that with the small 
number of interested members in a community, the initial cost of sufficient 
land, erection of community buildings, development for park and athletic 
purposes, permanent upkeep and police supervision, such a program is 
practically prohibitive even if apportioned equally among the property 
owners and interested public spirited members of the community. 

The definite community center enterprises already existing in Iowa 
have been developed through the philanthropic endeavors of some public 
spirited citizen of these communities or some one vitally interested in the 
development of the same. On the other hand those communities with- 
out such a public spirited citizen are technically speaking "out of luck," 
although they may be even more deserving than those already receiving 
these privileges. 

In a great many cases community organizations are capable of and are 
willing to create among themselves a fund sufficient to erect a community 
building suitable for library, indoor athletics, public meetings and general 
community purposes but are unable to create or subscribe sufficient funds 
for the buying of land, the development of the grounds and the cost of up- 
keep and police supervision. 

Our siparsely populated farming communities make this situation in- 
evitable and for the most part prohibitive for the ordinary farm com- 
munity, without state aid. 

It has been proposed that a system of parks be developed throughout 
the state; state owned, state organized," and state controlled to be used 
especially for the benefit of the people of Iowa and the large number of 
tourists which pass through the state each year. It has also been pro- 
posed to establish definite park sites along the main traveled highways 
of the state in order that they may be used for recreational purposes of 
camp sites, picnic grounds and reservations of native beauty and scenery. 

"We propose that these park sites be established for another reason, 
that of furnishing grounds, development, upkeep and police supervision for 
community center enterprises where the community organizations will 
co-operate with the state authorities to place suitable buildings for com- 
munity purposes and state recreational advantages. 

If it were possible for county communities to furnish the entire amount 
of funds to build such a community center would it be right and just for 
them to furnish these funds while their city friends drive out and enjoy 
the picnics, park, camping and possibly athletic privileges without paying 
their portion of the initial cost and upkeep? Under state ownership this 
situation would not arise and everyone would be placed on the same 
basis. 



294 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

The city man is not over anxious to have the farmers use his privileges 
without paying for them in theatre, fair, carnival and amusement park 
tickets. On the other hand unless the farmer is willing to oipen his 
choice wood pasture and water sites for public use he is considered a 
grouch, a tightwad or public nuisance. Is the private property in the city 
open for the countrymlan's use? Why should it be in the country? 

Natural, attractive and ^Vholesome country parks owned and controlled 
by the state and made more useful with the addition of community build- 
ings built with community funds, would be one of the most valuable as- 
sets that could be granted to develop community spirit among Iowa's 
farming population. 

With such a system of Iowa's country parks, inter-city traffic will con- 
stitute which constitutes 47% of our highway traffic would he greatly as- 
sisted and would appreciate these sites for camp and rest room privileges. 
City population who have the necessary means of transportation would feel 
free to use these country parks in many ways. The average American 
citizen has a keen appreciation of the property rights of others and for this 
reason does not go to the country to enjoy its privileges except as he makes 
a continuous trip. Trespassing does not appeal to him and so he does 
not get acquainted with the country as he should. 

A well developed system of country roadside parks improved, assisted 
and developed by community funds would be one of the best avertlse- 
ments for the state as far as tourist traffic is concerned. Appropriate 
signs indicating direction and distance from camping sites, where rest 
rooms, camping sites, and picnic facilities are available, would be of in- 
finite value to the tourist. 

In conclusion a carefully selected system' of state parks located along 
main traveled highways would be a definite means for the promotion of 
community enterprise in the country. With the co-operation of com- 
munity organizations as far as the erection of buildings and the use of 
the grounds are concerned a community spirit is developed which cannot 
be estimated and it is invaluable in the building and future improvement 
of the community. 

Such parks would furnish definite points of contact between the city 
man, his country brother and builds up for both of them a keener appre- 
ciation for the country and its possibilities and advantages. 

For these reasons we cannot recommend too strongly a system of 
country state parks, some of them to be located along main highways for 
definite community enterprises, for town, country, and tourist recreation 
and enjoyment. 

Dated January 31, 1919. 



COUNTY PARKS AND FORESTS. 

By T. R. Truax. 

The subject of "County Parks and Forests" is rather a new one in this 
country. It is probably a natural outgrowth of the movement for a bet- 
terment of rural conditions in America. To some the idea of county parks 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 295 

in Iowa may seem ahead of the g-ame, inasmuch as neither a national nor 
state park is found within its borders. But they may be reminded of the 
fact that individual communities and counties are often ahead of the state 
in movements for better things. 

The idea of county parks and county forests can well be discussed un- 
der the one subject, for in Iowa the rural park and foirest will be much the 
same thing. Forests on a strictly commercial basis will never occupy 
large areas of our most A'^aluable lands. When they are established solely 
with the idea of profits they will have an equally large value for recrea- 
tion, game and wild plant preservation. So, necessarily, our forest areas 
will combine in most cases the economic phase with these others of equal 
importance. They are inseparable. 

The need of parks and forests is evident and yet, in our mad rush for 
immediate Avealth, is often disregarded. They have their place in all 
civilized countries today. In rural England, in France, and in Germany, 
they play a most important part in the life of the people. Our own na- 
tional government, some of the states, and many cities have likewise felt 
their need. Today our national parks and forests are scarcely equalled 
in beauty and grandeur anywhere; many of the states have reserved or 
bought back state forests, and an awakened interest in city parks and 
forests is sweeping the country. But little has been done to preserve the 
natural beauty spots in the rural districts of states like Iowa. The best 
species of trees have been culled from the forests, the wild flowers have 
suffered from the changed environments and have been eaten and trampled 
by live stock, and the wild birds and game have been hunted and chased 
from the areas. Hardly an acre in its original beauty and naturalness re- 
mains. Commercialism has swallowed it up and with it all has come dis- 
content and unrest among the rural people. 

The "back to the farm" movem.ent. embodying the improvement of 
country life and the community center ideas, all aim to instill content- 
ment into the minds of the rural peoples. Would not the community park 
and forest play a large part in accomplishing this end? The national 
parks and forests, grand as they are, are seen by but few of our rural peo- 
ple. They are for the well-to-do people with the time to visit them in the 
warmer months. The average farmer's services are indispensable to his 
work at the season when a visit to such parks or forest is possible. State 
and municipal forests and parks are likewise not for him. It is little 
wonder then that he and his children weary of the steady unchanging 
grind. The sole accumulation of wealth cannot make a people contented. 
The fact that the census showed a decrease in population for Iowa fi'om 
1900 to 1910 certainly cannot be explained by the poorness of Iowa's soils. 
Whatever else may be attributed as causes, the longing to get away from 
the monotony of farm life — to see and to know the life of other parts — the 
mountains and the forests — has played its part. 

As an illustration of the part that forests play in the life of a people, 
let us turn to the city forests in Germany. 

In many cases not only is the forest the principal livelihood of the peo- 
ple but it supplies a large part or all of the local taxes. The city forest 
of Zurich in Switzerland, which has been managed scientifically for nearly 
a thousand years, is annually yielding a net income of $7.20 per acre, while 



296 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

the city forest of Forbach in Gemiany with a net profit of over $12.00 per 
acre pays all the communal taxes. But more than that, the city forest is 
the playground of the people. The Oerman is taught to love the forest. 
As a schoolboy he spends much of his time there. Likewise, mothers 
with children, factory workers, and shop girls, all find rest there on Sun- 
days and holidays. For it is truly a place for rest with the cool, fresh 
air, the pure sparkling water, the flowers and the birds. But the instinct 
and the love of woodland and wild life is universal. Probably each one 
of us can think back to one or more (pleasant days spent in the woods. 
It is truly a vacation. There is a place in the rural community for the 
ipark and forest for that majority of people who will never visit our state 
and national parks and forests. 

Then, too, the county park or forest will play a most important part in 
the conservation of wild plants, birds, and game. Foremost among the 
reasons for the destruction and subsequent disappearance of our native 
plants is the clearing of woodlands, the grazing of live stock and the 
burning of slash and underbmsh. The plant's environment is thus 
changed and it quickly perishes. The lovers of birds and the sportsmen 
also know the value of forests as bird and game sanctuaries. They are 
most important in increasing the scarce or almost extinct species. 

Finally the establishment of county parks and forests will tend toward 
a proper utilization of all our lands. Iowa is, and always will be, essen- 
tially an agricultural state. But there are thousands of acres of land that 
can be bought at a price much less than what has been paid by cities in 
Europe for land for forestry purposes. If just 1% of the area of Iowa 
was used for forests and parks it would constitute an area of more than 
a third of a million acres or an average of 3,600 acres per county. Few, if 
any, counties there are that do not have that much land already forested or 
that much land of poor quality that could be planted to trees. The ma- 
jority of counties have much more. Who can doubt that the remaining 
acres would not be more valuable for the presence of these wooded 
areas ? 

The false idea prevailing in some sections of the country that to be 
profitable the land must be cleared of forests and put to other purposes, 
is doing much mischief towards the prosper use of our resources. The 
deception may prevail for a time as it did in eastern states, but sooner or 
later a proper balance will be reached. 

Then there is another phase to the question. Iowa is located at a con- 
siderable distance from the great forest regions of the country and is a 
heavy consumer of wood. For these reasons the markets here will be of 
the best. We can, therefore, afford to use better lands than is used in 
other sections simply because of supply and demand of forest products. 
But the revenues derived from forests are by no means to be disregarded. 
Well managed forests in Europe are yielding as net profit $5.00 to $12.00 
per acre per year. Forest plantations here in Iowa have given equally 
as large returns. 

But, however profitable the growing of forests on long rotations, it is 
not a private proposition. It is essentially a business of a long-lived 
organization. Few individuals are willing, even though financially able, to 
invest today with the idea of harvesting fifty or one hundred years hence. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 297 

A few years ago the legislature of Iowa sought to encourage the practice 
of forestry among individuals by providing for the exemption of forest 
lands from taxation. Yet that law has failed to have an appreciable effect 
upon the care and management of our woodlands. Neither are individuals 
prone to look a generation or two ahead to the happiness and contentment 
of their posterity. For this reason forestry and parks are primarily a 
community, state, or national undertaking. 

The question of acquiring and maintaining county parks and forests is 
too large to consider here. I will but suggest that the legislature should 
l^rovide the counties with power to levy taxes for the purix>se of acquiring 
and managing the same, as has already been done in other states. Also, 
the park and forest should find its place in the work of community or- 
ganization. Let us supply as best we can those things which are draw- 
ing our people outside the state. Along with the consolidated school and 
community center idea, let us not forget the forest — the greatest play 
ground of all time, thereby maintaining a proper balance in the use of 
our lands and aiding in the preservation of our wild plants, birds, and 
game. — Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association, Report 1914-15. 
pp. 148-52. 



PRESERVING THE INDIAN MOUNDS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI 

RIVER. 

By Ellison Orr. 

Most of you have heard, or read, at some time or other of a mysterious 
race of people that lived and flourished in the valley of the Mississippi 
long prior to the coming of the White man, and that left over a territory 
large enough for nine or ten states, evidences of a considerable advance 
in civilization along certain lines over what it was believed people who 
were considered as savages were capable of making. 

A vast amount of research work by archaeologists and others interested, 
has in a measure, dispelled the mystery which at one time suirounded the 
evidences of their occupancy, and it is now generally believed that such 
are only the work of the more or less remote ancestors of the American 
Indian. 

With one exception, these people had not advanced beyond the stone 
age, that is, all weapons, implements, and ornaments, made by civilized 
man of metal of some kind, were by them made of bone and stone. The 
one exceptional use of metal was that of capper. A limited amount of 
this, in sheets and nuggets of pure metal was mined in the Lake Superior 
region and with stone hammers beaten into the desired forms. 

Everywhere about the fields we pick up arrowheads, knives, and spear- 
heads of flint, quartz, and other suitable rock material, some of them 
rough and imperfect, others finely wrought and beautifully symmetrical. 
It was once quite generally believed that the making of these was a lost 
art, but recently a member of the Wisconsin Archaeological Society has 
made some very fine ones, some of them from glass, by the chipping 
process. The secret appears to be the skillful hand. 



298 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

Much less frequently found are the axes, celts, and mauls made mostly 
of granite and diorite or greenstone. 

Very rarely celts or ungrooved axes and arrow or spearheads of cop- 
per are found. 

Then there are pipes, bannerstones, gorgets, beads, and many other 
objects the use of which is problematical, together with mostly broken pot 
tery, scattered more or less abundantly about camp sites and washed or 
plowed out of ttie ancient burial places. 

Thousiands and thousands of all of these have been gathered into 
museums and private collections. From a comparison and situdy of the 
different types and forms, and this with what we know of the habits and 
mode of living of the Indian, has enabled us to form what are probably 
fairly accurate conclusions as to the uses made of all these different arti- 
cles by his ancestors. 

Among other things left by these original Americans as evidences of 
their occupancy were earthworks of different forms and it is of these and 
their preservation that we wish to speak briefly. 

Most people know of the great serpent mound in Ohio — an embankment 
of earth lying along the top of a bluff on the Scioto river. From its wide- 
ly distended jaws which is a circle of earth conjectured to represent an 
egg, it gruns in a sinuous line several hundred feet back to the coiled tail. 
Near there is Foirt Ancient, and the Great Mound adjoining Oahokia, the 
former quite likely once a fortified camp. 

Iowa has nothing on so extensive a scale as any of these but it does 
have aboriginal earthworks of more than passing interest, and it seems to 
us that steps should be taken to preserve some of them for posterity be- 
fore all are obliterated by the plow. 

It may be well to briefly describe what we do have. 

The most abundant form is the circular mound. These resemble noth- 
ing more than the heaps of earth thrown out by pocket grophers only on a 
very much larger scale. These mounds where we now find them undis- 
turbed by cultivation are all the way from fifteen to forty feet in diameter 
and from one to ten feet in height. 

The round mounds are believed to have been heaped over burial places, 
or speaking more exactly about bodies laid on the natural surface either 
in a sitting or reclining position. Some when opened a.re found to con- 
tain a jumbled mass of bones evidently the gathered up remains of many 
scattered dead. 

In view of the very abundant human remains found in this type of 
mound in other states we are warranted in considering them as sepulchers, 
thougih it is by no means certain that all those in northeastern Iowa are. 
Nearly all of them when opened show no traces of human remains nor 
are there any relics. We are forced to the conclusion that they may have 
been erected for some other purpose or else that they are extremely old. 
Instead of being hundreds of years or less they may be thousands. 

It is entirely possible that some of these heaps of earth along our 
Mississippi bluff-tops may be among the oldest works of man on the earth. 

Knowing this, is it not worth the while to take steps for the preserva- 
tion of typical groups before the farmer's plow has destroyed them as is 
already the case with large numbers? Certainly twenty-five and perhaps 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 299 

fifty per cent of the earthworks of all types in Iowa have been obliterated, 
and this percentage is increased eveiT year. 

Following the circular mounds in numbers are the long straight em- 
bankments usually following the crest of divides between ravines. These 
are all the way from twenty-five to several hundred feet in length, from 
twenty to twenty-five feet in width, and one to three feet in (height. What 
they were built for we can only conjecture — we certainly don't know — 
only this, it is certain that they are not fortifications as some think them 
to be. 

The real fortifications or fortified camps, of which there are, or were, a 
number in the valley of the Upper Iowa or Oneota river, are always en- 
closures, an embankment of earth entirely surrounding an acre or more of 
land. 

Another very interesting type is the effigy mound, hea,ping of earth to 
represent a bird or animal in relief. 

Some of these are so well done that it is quite possible to say that they 
were intended to represent a wild goose, a night hawk, or a buffalo. Others 
we are not quite so certain of, but we have given to particular forms the 
names of panther mounds, and to others bear mounds and lizard mounds. 
In Wisconsin there is one man mound. 

On one of the bluffs in the proposed National Park area south of Mc- 
Gregor there is a very fine group of three or four buffalo moundis. 

Two lie in what is now pasture and are well preserved. One recog- 
nizes the animal at once by the humip on its back and the general pose. 

The others lie in a cultivated field and they are only recognized as 
mounds by the slight elevation of the surface where they were and the 
different color of the soil. As this pasture is likely at any time to be 
plowed up, what is probably the only group of buffalo mounds in loAva will 
then be destroyed. 

Two miles north of North McGregor on top of a high bluff, with a 
magnificent panorama of river scenery stretching away north and south, 
lies scattered irregularly about, what is without doubt the finest group of 
effigy mounds in the state. There are ten animals of the bear form and 

two birds — night hawks — besides which there are two long embankments. 

•. 

The greatest length of any of the animals is one hundred feet. From 
tip to tip of the bird wings is the same distance. 

About half-way between Lansing and New Albin on a terrace at the 
foot of which runs the road between the two towns, and the route of the 
iproposed North Iowa scenic trail, lies a group of round mounds. With 
three exceptions this group lies in pastures and has suffered no mutila- 
tion. 

It is probably the most easily acces.sible good group of mounds of the 
burial type in Iowa. 

Driving along what is even now a fairly good road and which with a 
moderate outlay could be made a fine one, you stop your car at the foot 
of the terrace, climh sixty feet to the top, and there they are. Back of 
them lie high broken and picturesque bluffs; in front the sloughs, lakes, 
and wooded islands of the river flood plain. 



300 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

So long as the ipresent owner of the land, Mr. Ed Fish, retains posses- 
sion of it these mounds will not be disturbed, but should he sell, the next 
year might see the leveling process with a plow begun. 

Efforts are being made to secure an easement in the land for the Alla- 
makee County Historical Society which will permit the owner to use the 
ground for pasture but which will place the control and preservation of 
the mounds in the hands of that society and give the public access. 

A better way would be to buy outright the entire terrace which contains 
somewhere between six and eight acres and make of it park. This for 
the best effect should be closely pastured. There is a growth of small oak 
trees among and on the mounds and scattering larger oak and hickory 
on the sides of the terrace. The flat top except for the area occupied by 
the mounds is a field. 

But the necessary funds to purchase are lacking. The animal mound 
group north of North McGregor, which should be called The Pleasant 
Ridge Animal Mound Group, as it is on the high promontory terminating 
that ridge, is even more easy of access than the Fish Mound Group. 

You may drive your car right up to and among the noble beasts, and 
when you have looked them over and wondered why and by what people 
they were made; where the earth was gotten; how it v/as carried there, 
how long they were in building, and have tried to answer these and other 
questions that might be asked about them, you may look away upon a pic- 
ture of an old, old shining river with its bordering hills, and valleys be- 
tween, its lush green islands, coming out of the misty north and running 
far into the misty south. The world has no fairer, no more peaceful, no 
more restful picture. 

No wonder savage man selected such a spot on which to build an ever 
enduring totem of his tribe. 

As this group lies on good tillable land, and as it has been entirely 
cleared of forest, and the land belongs to two different owners, it is far 
more likely to suffer destruction than the Fish group. 

"We believe a determined effort should be made to secure at least such 
control of these two earthwork groups as would preserve them, either by 
lease, easement or purchase, and that action in the matter should be begun 
at once. — Iowa Conservation Vol. I, No. 3, pp. 45-6. 



PARKS AND COUNTRY LIFE. 
By B. J. Horchem, State Senator. 

We should take hold and appreciate the logic of the situation in this 
state. Iowa should awake. We can be thankful that we have a body of 
public spirited men who can realize that the beauty spots of this S'tate 
should be kept for all the people for all time; that the lakes, the river 
banks, the hiUtops, and almost all the finest parts of the natural beauties 
of Iowa are now possessed by private persons whose private interests often 
dictate the destruction of these beauty spots or at least the exclusion of 
the people from the enjoyment thereof. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 301 

I feel that in some parliculavs we are almost at a turning point in 
making such .provisions for our state which will place it where it truly 
belongs — as one of the most charming states in the Union. 

We should acquire in various parts of the state, large areas that are 
permanently suited for state parks, and then in each county a memorial 
park for the boys of the great war should be planted, and in each of these 
parks should be planted a number of trees to designate the number of 
boys who took active part in this great war. These parks will be parks 
of peace and haippiness not only foir the tired and overworked city people, 
who long for a glimpse of natural beauty and a place of recreation, but 
also as places for the homes of birds and wild animals which must be pre- 
served. These places should be under supervision and should be freely 
used by all the people not only of each county but of the state. This will 
prove a valuable constructive piece of legislation for in a short time likely, 
the children of the city will find in the woods and the public parks, the 
only opportunity within reasonable distance of their homes to enjoy the 
beauty and restfulness of the forest, the lake, the river and the other 
peculiar beauty spots, and which should be therefore, permanent means 
of wliolesome public enjoyment for both the present and future genera- 
tions. These places would be secured in honor of our boys, and would be 
held in trust by the state for its people. What grand monuments for 
those who were near and dear to us! 

The change in attitude toward the park and boulevard systems has 
been due in part to the elevation of public taste, which now demands 
beauty in city plannings. But an exceedingly important factor has been 
the feeling that beauty is an asset that can be realized in counties. 

Life is not for learning, nor is life for working, but leairning and work- 
ing are for life. In brief, I may say that we have had somewhat too 
much of the gospel of work. It is time to preach the gospel of relaxation. 
Something like this is the observation of nearly every thoughtful visitor 
in the United States. We should concentrate intelligence on the plan 
of recreation and relaxation in a long well ordered and efficient life. 

Although state parks are not likely to have the great acreage of na- 
tional parks, they may prove to be more generally useful as recreation 
grounds for the great body of l^e people. Outside the cities the states are 
most often the natural means to act efficiently in the establishment of 
large natural parks. Their acquisition is more in the nature of an invest- 
ment than expense, as the land increases rather than decreases in value. 

Someone has said: "Vice must be fought by welfare, not by I'estraint; 
and society is not safe until today's pleasures are stronger than its 
temptations." "Amusement is stronger than vice and can strangle the 
best of it." Not only does morality then rest back on recreation, but so 
does efficiency in any direction. One-half of efficiency and happiness de- 
pends upon vitality, and vitality depends largely upon recreation, especial- 
ly the simple recreation of the open air. 

The purpose of this introduction is briefly to describe the nature and 
character of iparks and recreation facilities in Iowa and to define roughly 
the place and future of parks and recreation. 



302 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

RURAL PARKS IN A PRAIRIE STATE. . 
By Thomas H. Macbride, President S'tate University of Iowa. 

My theme requires, it seems to me, but smallest introduction. If we 
all are park enthusiasts, as we should be, to such extent that nothing 
pertaining to the subject of outdoor art is foreign to our interest, then 
surely the attempt to so widen our effort and influence that these shall 
reach countiT people and rural communities will not fail of appreciation 
and sympathy here. 

Parks the cities have, are sure to have, in increasing perfection as the 
years go by; but our population is not all in cities by any means, and 
there must ever remain a wide scope of our domain over which the alder- 
man has no control. It is small credit to us if refinement and an intelli- 
gent, sympathetic use of nature be confined to the city. This is a govern- 
ment by the people, and in wisdom or unwisdom, good or evil fortune, we 
share and share alike. 

City people are not as much interested in the proposition that the 
country should be beautiful as are country people that cities should be 
healthful and well managed; in fact, we are a nation of enthusiasts, of 
optimists. We would have the whole land scientifically, artistically oc- 
cupied and cultivated, the whole country one vast park into which ugli- 
ness and misery resultant on an abuse of nature's gifts should never come. 

Most of the evils that we attack in an assembly such as this are in- 
cident to the fact that we are a new people, acting under popular govern- ' 
ment. We are, as a people, anxious to do right, but have not yet learned 
how. 

Properly managed parks and pleasure grounds are the product of well 
directed purpose, active through a long course of years. In a democratic 
form of government it is hard to develop such a purpose, and especially 
is it ihard to give it continuity of action. Nevertheless, in America we 
believe that these conditions can both be met — will be met as the years 
come and go. We are a proud people, proud of our achievements in every 
direction, and once the movement toward the proper adornment of our 
heritage begins, national, state, or neighborhood pride will carry our ef- 
fort to most fortunate conclusion. 

Thus far, in the larger part of our national area, time has not allowed 
for much aesthetic development out of doors. You cannot expect a man 
to sod his dooryard or plant flowers until the chips are picked up and the 
mortar on the walls is dry. We have been so busy hitherto building the 
house that we have had no time to carve the lintel. However, the time 
has now come for something better — for ornamental work, and it be- 
hooves every one who can appreciate beauty in any of its myriad phases 
to become, if not an artist, at least art's patron. That the time is ripe is 
plain to the least observant. Attempts at outdoor art are everywhere, and 
the necessity for outdoor life impresses itself mora and more upon our 
people. There needs but intelligent direction and the ends we seek will 
soon reach full accomplishment. 

The first step in any undertaking is the proper estimate of resources. 
What capital have we at our disposal? What material with which to 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 303 

build? To be more precise, it beliooves us in the present problem of what 
may be termed park extension, to inquire in every case What we have to 
start with; what nature has done, what aid she can be relied upon to fur- 
nish. To such inquiiy every locality offers, of course, a somewhat different 
answer; yet there are conditions which effect in the same way in this 
country a great number of localities at once. The lower Mississippi Val- 
ley, for instance, is a forest, the upper Mississippi Valley a prairie in large 
part. So that the park problem, as it offers itself to any community, has 
been, in a large measure, predetermined by nature herself, and the very 
first thing, as it seems to me, that our people need to learn is how to use 
what they have. 

In the Old World there are magnificent parks, forests which are partly 
used by the people. But whence come they? They have in most instances 
been planted and guarded by kings and nobles for their own pleasure, and 
now, in these democratic days, are falling more and more to the share of 
all men for rational enjoyment and delgiht. Such are the parks of Eng- 
land, France and Germany. We have over all the more thickly populated 
portion of our domain groves and woodlands, fountains, hills and rocks, 
shaped and planted by the King of Kings; and it is simply a question as to 
whether or not our people are competent to appreciate native beauty as 
it comes to their hands, and to use that which they inherit. 

These, then, are the general principles. Let us see how they apply 
to a particular case. Of course my own state must furnish the object 
lesson. 

Iowa includes an area of about 55,000 square miles. It is drained by an 
abundance of rather sluggish streams which trend for the most part 
south and east. Although commonly classed as a prairie state, it has 
until recently possessed a very large amount of woodland. Along every 
stream, in all the eastern part, at least, was a more or less continuous 
fringe of forests. 

Trees being the essential factor in the idea of a park, it is evident 
that Iowa need never lack such adornment. Trees v^rill grow In Iowa. 
Trees ^vill grow in all our prairie states much farther west than most 
people think. Not only is this true but in hundreds of oases the trees 
are so placed as to give us all the best features of a park to start with. 
Before the country passed into the control of civilized men, the exten- 
sion of the forest was limited by fires^ — prairie fires. Trees grew only 
where the soil was too poor to sustain a crop of grass, which, by burning, 
might choke them out, or where the amount of moisture present in spring 
and fall, the time of fires, was sufficient to prevent conflagration. The 
result was two fold: First, the trees grew only in that part of the coun- 
try least desirable for cultivation, on lowlands, as we have noted, along 
the streams and on sandy or rocky hillsides, in glens and gorges, over 
precipitous bluffs; and, second, where the trees did grow they were 
for the most part scattered, especially on higher ground there was much 
open space between them, so that Iowa woodlands, for instance, were 
commonly called "Oak Openings." 

One could drive through the Iowa forests anywhere. Did one choose to 
follow some long clay ridge, the trees, chiefly white oaks, opened on 
every hand, just as in a royal park, and out past their clean, white, weath- 



304 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

ered boles on a summer day the emerald prairie gleamed and shone on 
the horizon's edge. Amid the wooded hills and by the rivers existed 
many a romantic spot, many a cool and shaded nook. Such places to a 
pioneer were not left long unknown or unchristened, and the names at 
first bestowed exist today. There are "coves" and "caves" and "dens" 
and "springs" and "bluffs" and "palisades" and "backbones" without 
number. It may surprise my readers to learn that according to popular 
nomenclature, his satanic majesty has his backbone thrust up in several 
distinct places within the limits of the fortunate state of Iowa. A "back- 
bone" is simply a long ridge of the country ix)ck, lising in an otherwise 
comparatively level country; a "Devil's Backbone," for instance, rises 
in Delaware county, its rocky walls washed at their base by the clear 
waters of the Maquoketa river. 

It follows, then, that for nearly all parts of our valley states, 
parks were, originally, not wanting. All that had been necessary to have 
given us parks forever had been simply to set apart for the purpose a por- 
tion or portions of the country which were really good for nothing else. 
The early settlers soon discovered the situation. The prairies were oc- 
cupied and cultivated, the woodland was passed by, and, unfenced, was 
everybody's picnic ground. Every community had abundant park facili- 
ties, and, consequently, the necessity of reserving park grounds did not 
at all appear. The woodlands, unvexed by fire, grew up in thickets, the 
oak openings became closed, and genuine forest conditions began to 
prevail over large areas. 

Such was the state of affairs in Iowa until a very recent date. Within 
the last few decades, however, there has come a decided change. The 
invention of barbed wire, affording a cheap and easily applied fencing 
material, especially among trees, and the failure of Nebraska and Da- 
kota prairies to meet the expectations of those who hurried thither, re- 
sulted in the exploitation of all unused lands in all the older communities 
and such are now, where wooded, being everywhere cleared and fenced 
for agricultural purposes. The result is that, unless some means are 
taken to prevent it, within a very few years every wooded area every- 
where will be entirely stripped of its natural covering, and the primitive 
parks, the gifts of nature, which have been for so long enjoyed by the 
people of these newer commionwealths, will vanish forever away. 

I do not here speak of other ills that must follow wholesale changes 
in nature's equipoise, such as these. I do not refer to the drying up of 
our streams, the destructive erosion of our hills, the bleaching of uncov- 
ered rocks which must soon proclaim our inevitable decadence toward 
barrenness and desert. I speak not now of any of these things; I am 
urging only that measures be taken to preserve for the people, country 
folk and town folk alike, the resorts they have, the gifts of providence 
and nature, admirable in themselves, susceptible of indefinite improve- 
ment and competent, if undisturbed, to perpetuate themselves a joy 
forever. 

Moved by what we esteem right considerations, some of us who per- 
ceive the necessities of the case have therefore been urging the people 
of Iowa to reserve for themselves some, at least, of the choicer and more 
romantic wooded regions of the country as rural parks. Had we a king. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 305 

or an emperor, he would doubtless make these reserves for us — always 
provided he had not a senate to deal with. But since the people are 
sovereign, the people must act. They will act some day. The great 
effort is to make them act in time. The axe is so swift; the people are 
so slow! "Surely," it is claimed, "Mr. Smith will not destroy that beauti- 
ful grove, or uncover that delightful spring." But Mr. Smith cannot, per- 
chance, afford to maintain either grove or spring simply for the .delecta- 
tion of his neighbors, however generous it might be in him to do so — 
Mr. Smith must do that which pays. 

If the public likes a grove or a spring which, free gratis, the public has 
used so long, the public must own it and pay the taxes. There is no 
other logical solution to the problem. Here and there a Vanderbilt may 
arise and endow us with park foundations, as millionaires endow col- 
leges, but while we wait for these things opportunity will pass by. 

But, it is urged, the idea is impracticable. Perhaps so; nevertheless, 
something of the kind must be done. Nor is it so impracticable as it 
might at first sight appear. The thing has been done in New York, in 
New England, has at least a beginning in Iowa, and will be found prac- 
ticable everywhere where men earnestly undertake the work. The most 
hopeful mode of procedure is to persuade town or country authorities 
to act; to purchase and hold in the name of the people, and for rational 
use, suitable lands wherever obtainable. In some instances, this has 
been done; in others a stock company has been organized to hold park 
property until such time as country or city shall determine to buy. The 
"Backbone" in Delaware county, Iowa, has been to some extent so man- 
aged, and more than 1,200 acres of the most romantic natural scenery 
the state affords has been saved, by private ownership, at least by the 
present. Hundreds of people visit the locality every summer, drink the 
clear water of the springs, rest in the shadow of leafy woods and over- 
hanging rocks. 

I have spoken only of the more wooded portions of Iowa; but as a 
matter of fact what I have said applies to fully three-fourths of the coun- 
ties of the state, applies to other states, if not to all. In those less fav- 
ored by nature, the park must be more largely artificial. Trees will grow 
in every county in Iowa. If in any section of the land trees will not 
grow, the case is hopeless; for I hold it certain that a country that 
will not, under any conditions, support trees cannot be the home of civ- 
ilized men. 

But as I said at the outset, I have used Iowa simply as an illustration; 
what is true of Iowa is true of every state that touches her, of every 
habitable state in the Union. In beautiful old Kentucky, even, are yet 
hundreds of splendid groves of primeval forest which shadow fountains 
and perpetual springs, and which possess, therefore, all that is essential 
to the recreation and refreshment of weary humanity. Cannot many of 
these be saved to delight mankind when all primeval woods now stand- 
ing that cover coveted tillable soil shall have vanished away? 

The problem, if we only knew it, goes deep; it touches, as I think, 
the very perpetuity of our institutions. No man can love an unbeautiful 
land. No people, no civilized people, can long remain content when all 



306 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

vestige of natural beauty has been i*emoved from sight, nor can a free 
government rest upon an unhappy or discontented people. The French 
revolution came when rural France was almost a desert. The German 
loves the fatherland because of its beauty. England is a land of parks, 
not in the great cities only, but everywhere from Land's End to John 
O'Groat's, and we know what Englishmen think of England. If we 
wish our own people to most speedily reach the maximum of con- 
tented peace we shall exert ourselves to preserve to our God-given heri- 
tage its original, wonderful features of surpassing natural beauty. 



CONSERVATION OF ANIMAL LIFE. 
By E. D. Ball. 

The love of animals, pleasure in observing life's innumerable mani- 
festations and realities is a primitive and fundamental charatcer in all 
races of mankind. Evolution's processes have accentuated it in certain 
races and subordinated in others. Civilization and progress are today the 
heritage and those races in which this trait has been the most highly 
developed. The love of animals, the ability to domesticate and develop 
them to the growing wants of the race has gone hand in hand with 
human development. The spirit of altruism, a desire to protect and fos- 
ter has been the keynote of progress that has developed domesticated 
animals to their present height of perfection and has carried the races 
that have accomplished this to their present zenith of human power 
and potentiality. 

The lands bordering that narrow strip of water, the English channel, 
has developed the Clyde and Shire, the Belgian and the Percheron, the 
four great breeds in horses; the Shorthorn, the Hereford, the Holstein, 
the Jersey and the Guernsey, all, in fact, of the great breeds of the 
cattle. Many breeds of sheep and hogs have also been cradled within 
this area. 

The great war now ending has sifted the wheat from the chaff of 
nations. The peoples who patiently builded these magnificent creations 
in animal life, established monuments to their altruism, humanitarianism 
and the appreciation of life's manifestations and possibilities that will 
endure forever. Their descendants now stand as the champions of 
liberty and democracy for all the people of the world and worthy de- 
scendants of a noble race. 

Over against them are arrayed a people equally well situated from 
every environmental standpoint, arrogantly boastful of their civilization 
and "kultur," but who have lagged woefully behind in the development 
of animal life. The German coach horse developed for war purposes, 
and the Dachshund, misshapen and grotesque, are the highest expres- 
sions of their dealings with the great biological forces. 

We have before us today as though thrown on a screen a pictm'e of 
'kultur" with its spiked mustaches drawn back and fixed in death's 
leer, on its way to the grave, drawn by two magnificent German coach- 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 307 

ers, symbolic of that nation's perversion and subserviance of everything 
living to the demon of conquest. The hearse is followed by a Dachs- 
hund, a monstrosity and travesty on animal life, fatefully significant of 
the lack of symmetry in German philosophy. 

That picture should be framed and hung before us as a perpetual 
warning. We should also be reminded of Cliina and India, their vision 
shrouded in philosophy and dogma, ignoring for centuries the wonderful 
possibilities and inspirations of the almost tropical life around them. 
We should study history and note the permanency and progress of those 
races that have developed livestock industries. We should study statis- 
tics and note that livestock and illiteracy never go together. We should 
study the lives of the great men of history those that have acquii-ed dis- 
tinction in special fields, especially those whose achievements have been 
in the path of world progress; to find that they have been lovers of 
nature, students of her mysteries and charms; that their philosopliies 
have been the expressions of the organization and development that they 
iiave seen in the life around them. And when we have done this we can 
but realize that the many and varied manifestations of life are an in- 
tegral and essential part of the natural environment of the human race. 
That this environment has developed the highest type of thought and 
the highest motives, and that if we as a race wish to go forward in the 
path of progress and keep pace with the highest and best development 
of this world's destiny, we must furnish to the generations to come, the 
possibility and opportunity of coming into contact with the varied and 
almiost miraculous manifestations of the life of the wood, of the water 
and the plain. 

Hunting and fishing are the natural expressions of this universal in- 
stinct — unconscious expressions of a desire for contact with nature. This 
may be classified as the primitive and fundamental instinct. Hunting 
and fishing were its highest expressions in primitive man, gradually de- 
veloping with the race, to the love of animals, of birds and nature's 
forces, and culminating in the scientist whose passion finds expression 
in unending exploration into the mysteries of nature and whose re- 
searches have contributed so tremendously to the material welfare, the 
higher development, the health and happiness of the race. 

With primitive peoples and in new regions surrounded by vast woodr 
and limitless plains, no provision need be made for the stimulation of this 
instinct, but as populations increase they have enci'oached upon the 
woods and plains until they are so restricted in Iowa today that fishing 
is a memory and hunting a luxury. If we as a commonwealth, are to de- 
velop to our higher possibilities, are to hold within our borders those 
progressive spirits whose love of nature is a dominant passion, if we are 
going to give to our descendants the opportunities for contact with 
the nature that our forefathers possessed we must come to an immediate 
realization that our wild places are fast disappearing and that it is only 
by prompt and vigorous action that we can save the few remnants and 
conserve them to future good of all. 

This is neither the time nor place for a detailed discussion of the 
animal life that should be preserved. It should serve at this time, to lay 
down the principles that we should maintain and perpetuate the original 



308 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

flora and fauna of thia great region. It will be necessary to preserve as 
soon as possible, the few remaining places in the state in which we still 
have the natural conditions under which this life developed. You can- 
not have the animals of the prairie without the prairie, or the animals 
of the woods without the woods and underbrush. Birds do not love the 
smoke and roar and the interminable wires of our cities. They must 
have woods or prairies, water, sunshine and pure air to break forth into 
that melody of song which lifts every responsive human soul to higher 
planes. 

We have already lost the buffalo, the deer, the antelope, the prairie 
dog and the beaver, while the badger, the great turtle, the deer mouse, 
the star-nosed mole, the glass snake and many other of the familiar ani- 
mals of our childhood are fast disappearing. These were an integral part 
of the lives and memories of our forefathers. They studied their, habits, 
were familiar with their mysteries and were brought by these in uncon- 
scious contact with the soil, the air and the living world around them. 
They were close to the spirit of nature — ^and to the spirit of the infinite. 

Iowa is peculiarly rich and varied in her fauna. We have in the 
northeast portions of the remnants of the life of the far northern regions. 
In the northwest, an overlapping of the prairie and plains faunas, in 
the southwest, an extension of the Texan Fauna, while the southeast is 
visited by stragglers from our tropical climes. 

We should establish parks and preserves of the native vegetations of 
these many and varied regions and protect forever the plant and animal 
life that once abounded. We should select locations of the marsh and 
stream for the muskrat, the great turtle, the beaver, the fish and other 
aquatic forms. We should hold fast to the prairie with at least an ante- 
lope, if not the bison and the deer, with the glass snake, the deer mouse, 
the bob-o-link and the curlew. We should have the woods, the rocks and 
the cave for the owl, the bat and the chipmunk, and the innumerable 
songsters whose daily lives are an open book of joy and gladness. 

Iowa has developed a wonderful livestock industry. Her horses and 
cattle are famed, her hog is ubiquitous. Immense sums of money have 
been spent by the individuals and the state in fostering and developing 
these animals to the highest type of perfection. 

Iowa is also noted for her men and women, her literacy and her pros- 
perity. She has responded nobly to every call of humanity, she has been 
enterprising and productive in the development of her ideals. Let us 
spend a small fraction of the sum that has been spent in developing 
her livestock industry, in provision that her peoples come in contact 
with the highest and best in life. Let us see that they are able to get 
away from the sordid and commonplace, from the daily grind of a com- 
mercial world and get the contact and inspiration of nature. See that 
they may watch that never ending chain of progress that has developed 
the myriads of interacting forms of a life that works out into a harmon- 
ious whole. Through such study and such contact comes the breadth and 
vision that has developed the American nation, has inspired the altruist 
and the thinker, has fixed and rounded those qualities that are necessary 
to the highest and best development of our race. 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 309 

SCENIC DRIVES AND THEIR RELATION TO A STATE PARK SYSTEM. 

By Frank H. Culley. 

The scenic drive serves two very important missions in the great sys- 
tem of parks. First, there is its natural beauty which is of an aesthetic 
value, and second, its adaptability as a close connecting link in the great 
chain of parks which in the future will not only cover our o\vn great 
state border to border but will cross and merge into the park systems of 
our sister commonwealths in such a manner as to bring them into one 
harmonious whole called the national park system. 

To understand fully the special value of the scenic drive, we must 
realize the extent and complexity of the organization of this great Amer- 
ican institution — The National Park System, which contains first the 
national holdings such as national parks, national forests, national 
monuments, and national reservations, both Indian and military; sec- 
od, state holdings, such as state parks, and reservations; third, county 
parks; and fourth, the smaller and more intimate public properties of 
the township, local community, village, town and city. These lands 
which have been preserved for their historic interest, their natural 
beauty, or their service value to the community, represent today about 
200,000,000 acres of scattered public property. 

To become the more effective and to render to the public the high- 
est service, these scattered areas must be tied together in some syste- 
matic manner in order that they may create a harmonious workable 
whole. With this as one of the objectives in view, the transcontinental 
and interstate highways, such as the Lincoln and the Jefferson, have been 
and are being created. These form the skeleton or backbone, as it were, 
upon which this scheme is being developed. Within the smaller unit, the 
state, state highways such as the River-to-River and the Daniel Boone 
are created in order that the state parks and reservations may be tied 
together and thence connected by means of the national highways to the 
national parks. This system of highways tying parks and local reserva- 
tions together is repeated on down through the smallest unit — the com- 
munity holdings. Thus we find that the national park system, ranging 
from reservations containing hundreds of acres down to local reserva- 
tions of perhaps only a few acres resembles a well planned municipal 
park system such as that of Minneapolis or Kansas City where the boule- 
vards, avenues and streets bind together in one haraionious whole the 
parks, cemeteries, school grounds, playgrounds, squares, et cetra. Wliile 
there are many valuable scenic qualities attached to our transcontinental, 
interstate and state highways, still it remains for the local, less pre- 
tentious, but more intimate roadways to serve the purposes of the scenic 
drive. 

Functionally the scenic drive is not a thoroughfare for through traf- 
fic, but rather an indirect route or pleasure drive which discourages this 
through traffic. It has been said that the approach to a house on an 
estate serves as the connecting medium between different parts of the 
grounds as well as a means for displaying the various beauties and 
peculiarities of the place. Just so with a scenic drive, it carries the pub- 



310 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 

lie away from the busy traffic, short cuts to lead them leisurely along 
a pleasure drive with no set goal terminating the drive, but instead with 
the objectives scattered along its entire length. The spirit of such a 
drive should be intimacy with the beauties of nature, with the develop- 
ment of such a spirit to meet the individual's need in every day life, thus 
not leaving it to only such influence as may be felt during an occasional 
vacation period. 

In selecting the location of these drives, there should be determination 
to reveal the local heauty spots, the inaccessibility of which deprives 
the public of their appreciation and enjoyment. Such locations might 
be along the river banks or lake shores thus giving- the public not only 
access to the lake, but at the same time adding scenic value to the 
drive and increasing the appreciation for the beauties of nature with 
every trip taken over this route. A drive of this sort miay follow along 
the base of a cliff or bluff now and then passing under the overhanging 
ledges as one does when driving on the riverside drive in Iowa Falls or 
along Dugway drive which rans along the river bank at the base of the 
bluffs in the city pai'k at Decorah, Iowa. A scenic drive along the hillside 
affords an excellent opportunity for a bird's eye view of the country 
lying beneath in the valley and to obtain distant views of the surround- 
ing hills. The Air Line drive at Decorah, Iowa, serves just as a purpose. 
A scenic drive of a larger character is that of the East Iowa Scenic Trail 
in Winneshiek county. We have other existing scenic drives in the state 
of Iowa, although they may not be designated by a given name. Thus 
we find that with the change of our normal perspective and the acces- 
sibility of nature's beauty spots, our interests grows and we explore the 
more recessed and intimate paths afoot. Scenic highways instead of 
scenic drives would have included the possibilities of seeing natui'e's 
beauties by means of our state water ways. A possibility which I will 
only refer to here. 

In designing and furnishing these drives simplicity with the predom- 
inating note or motiff of naturalness must be the goal. This can be 
directly applied to the alignment, grade, plantings, and any of the 
architectural features that may be necessary. Drives of this type should 
follow closely the natural contours thus eliminatinjg all unnecessary 
cuts and fills. Cuts and fills to be resorted to only when they will im- 
prove the character of the drive and then they should be handled skill- 
fully by a man trained in park designing. This practice need not be re- 
sorted to as often as one might be led to believe since heavier grades 
may be retained on a pleasure drive where heavyy traffic problems are not 
involved. All heavy construction w^ork should be avoided so far as is 
practicable on this type of drive. 

All natural features of interest along the drive, as well as those that 
may be seen from the drive, should be preserved and treated in the best 
possible manner. All native planting should be saved and such new 
plantings as are necessary should be so arranged as to be pleasing and 
to partake of the character exhibited by the native plantings. Continu- 
ous solid plantings are not a necessity since it is quite essential that 
certain objects, outlooks, and distinct views be seen from the drive; nor 



PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 311 

are long lines of symmetrically arranged trees such as we may find on 
city avenues, good taste in this case. 

The furnishings and accessories should be as neat and as simple as 
possible. Avoid heavy construction and fonnal effects. Simple neat 
markers for historic spots or directions should be used while all adver- 
tising signs and bill boards should be omitted. This should apply as 
well to highways other than scenic drives. If architectural features such 
as bridges and culverts must be added, see that their design is in keep- 
ing with their surroundings. It is highly possihle that in some situations 
where the stream is shallow that a paved ford may be as serviceable 
as a bridge and surely less expensive and artificial. There is a certain 
thrill to be had when driving through a stream with the water swirling 
around the spokes of the wheels. This type of construction is not un- 
common practice in large rural parks and throughout certain southern 
states. 

If we study carefully the problem of scenic drives first for that loca- 
tion which will make accessible and reveal the natural beauty spots of 
the small community; second, to give them a natural alignment and a 
practical grade; and third, to furnish them in a simple natural way we 
are fulfilling the primary aim of these drives which is to connect and 
bring together those features of community interest and beauty in such 
a manner as to create local color the appreciation of which will lead to a 
greater feeling for and a greater interest in the state parks and in turn 
for the unlimited aim, the national park system. 

This magnificent national park system Avas conceived in American 
minds, was bom of American progressiveness, and is being developed by 
American ingenuity. Quoting Professor F. A. Waugh, in this respect, 
he says: "Nothing like this system of recreation grounds was ever estab- 
lished in any country in the world- before, nor was there ever any similar 
undertaking of such tremendous reach, such high human possibilities." It 
is the embodiment of the spirit of America as shown through her great 
asset — the American landscape — with its qualities of bigness, wildness, 
diversity and versatility. 

A scenic drive is a refinement of detail in the national park system 
which touches the everyday life of the individual and aids in tying the 
national system together in much the same manner as a ribbon holds 
together the bouquet. 



INDEX 



Abbott, W. A 14 

Action Needed in Conservation 202-5 

Action on State Parks by Thirty-seventh G. A 284-5 

Adirondack Mountains 201 

Agrimony 75 

Air Line Drive, Winneshiek county 310 

Albert, W. E., State Fish and Game Warden 26 

Alden^Hardin county 110, 112, 113 

Alexander, See Douds-Leando 

Algona, Kossuth county 126, 148 

Allamakee county 19, 184, 276 

Allamakee county Historical Society 300 

Alton lake, Minnesota 148 

Alumroot 89 

American (^ivic Association 280 

American yew 42 

Amsterdam, Winnebago county 126 

Anemone 46, 74, 99, 105. 223, 236 

Antelope 247, 308 

Aplopappus 55 

Approval of Conservation 217 

Aquatic Phenogams of Iowa 221 

Arcadian flv catcher 97 

Arey, (Prof.) Melvin F 217, 287, 290 

Argonauts 269 

Army worm 257 

Arnold's Park, Dickinson county : 177 

Arrowhead 99, 236, 252 

Arrowwood 42, 89 

Artichoke 167 

Artis, (Miss) Leslev B 282-3 

Ash 12, 45, 65, 67, 73, 74, 79, 81, 88, 89, 90, 

99. lUO. 117. 121. 129. 145, 152. 155, 166, 177, 289 

Ashbaugh, Lewis K 181 

Aspen 42, 46, 74, 81, 89, 96, 125. 145, 171 

Aster .".5, 57, 75, 89, 99, 145, 166, 167, 223, 225, 226, 230, 288 

Audubon Societies 246 

Austin, George 23 

Avery Spring, Van Buren county 64 

Avocet 252 

Backbone 48 

Backbone, Delaware county 40, 43, 45, 203 

Backbone, Madison county 163-5 

Badger 97 

Bailey, B. H 242 

Bailey, Edwin C 103 

Bailey, Gideon S 63 

Bake Oven, Muscatine county 72 

Ball, E. D 306 

Balsam fir 163, 185, 195 

Balsam fir grove, Allamakee countv 27, 203 

Barker, W. H. H 160 

Barren oak 42, 45, 74, 79 

Basswood 42, 45, 53, 65, 67, 74, 85, 88, 89, 90, 99, 117, 125, 129 

Bat 308 

Bean 166 

Bear creek. Boone county 115 

Bear creek. Van Buren county 70 

Beard tongue 53, 56, 223 

Beauty of Great Trees 32 

Beauty of Returning Seasons 32 

Beaver creek. Polk county 150 

Belfast, Lee county 14. 60, 65 

Bell, F. G 26 

Bellefontaine, Mahaska county 158 

Bellevue, Jackson county 147 

Bell flower 167 

Bellwort 46, 75, 99 

Bennett, George E 18, 244 

Benton shale 135 

Bentonsport, Van Buren county 62, 66, 70, 151 



314 INDEX 

Page 

Bertram, Linn county 98 

Beyer, (Dr) Samuel Walker Ill, 113, 136 

Big Boulder, Floyd county 19 

Big Duck creek. Van Buren county 62 

Big Duck marsh. Van Buren county 62 

Big Duck pond. Van Buren county 20 

Big Sioux river 54, 135, 136, 275, 276 

Big Springs, Allamakee county 27 

Big Timber river, See Cedar river 

Big Wall lake, Wright countv 156 

Birch 42, 67, 74, 80, 114, 115, 143, 145, 152, 184. 185. 239 

Bird Conservation in Iowa 242-4 

Bishop's cap 46, 75, 239 

Bison 308 

Bittern 156. 243. 252 

Bitternut 121, 145 

Bittersweet 42, 79, 80, 89, 100, 166, 240 

Bitterwort 240 

Bixby, R. J 144 

Bixby Park, Clayton county 19, 144-6, 203 

Blackberry 74, 288 

Black bird 156, 248, 252 

Black Cat creek, Kossuth county 126 

Black-crowned niglit heron 243 

Black-eyed susan 55, 56, 89, 230 

Black Hawk, Sac Chief 64 

Black Hawk Purchase 61 

Black Hawk War 61 

Black jack oak 65 

Black, James 87 

Blackledge, H. E ". 21 

Black oak 53, 65, 73, 89 152 

Bladdernut 42. 96, 97 

Bladderwort 80, 236, 252 

Blanden's Mill, Webster county 88 

Blazing star 55. 142. 166, 283 

Bloodroot 46, 89, 99, 105, 143, 152, 223, 239 

Blue beech 42,46. 74 

Bluebell 225 

Blue bird 120 

Blue Earth river 148 

Blue-eyed grass 75 

Blue grass 50, 57. 67, 75, 166 

Blue-grav gnat catcher 97 

Bluejay 253 

Blue joint 166 

Blue-stem grass 53. 76, 79, 231 

Bluff creek, Boone county 115 

Bluff Park. Lee county 269 

Bluffton, Hardin county 108, 271 

Bobolink 252, 308 

Bob-white, See Quail 

Bonaparte. Van Buren county 62, 66, 151 

Boneset 55, 145, 166 

Boneyard Hollow, Webster county 19, 86, 91 

Boone, Boone county 150, 273 

Boone county 114, 274 

Boone river 114 

Botany of the Devil's Backbone Area in Madison county 166-7 

Bottle grass 75, 76 

Box elder 42, 54, 67, 89, 121, 166 

Bradgate. Humboldt county 149 

Brandt, (Miss) Clara L 21, 22, 72 

Brandt, (Miss) Emma C 21, 22, 72 

Brant 247 

Bromegrass 171 

Brown, J. A 21 

Brown. P. E 68 

Brushy creek. Webster county 93 

Bryce, (Viscount) James 280 

Buckbush 67, 152, 155, 166 

Buckingham lake, Mills countv 40. 52, 54 

Buckthorn 79, 90. 117. 145, 166 

Buell, (Mrs. ) Martha 218 

Buena Vista, Lee county 151 

Buffalo 248 

Burgess, E. A 153 

Burgess, ( Mrs. ) E. A 229 

Burlington. Des Moines county 151, 159. 267, 268 

Burning bush. See Wahoo 

Bur oak 42, 45. 65, 67, 73. 74, 75, 79, 89. 99, 121, 129, 152, 157, 166 

Bur reed 99,252 



INDEX 315 

Page 

Burt, Kossuth county 148 

BusHcy, Marion countj' 159 

Butterfly weed 223 

Butternut 12. 65, 67, 87, 811, 'Ji), 100, 12l'.'l.i5,' i,55i VsV. 289 

Buttrick creeks, Webster county 93 

Cairo lake, Hamilton county 156 

Calamus 156 

Caldwell, (Judge) Henry Clay 63 

Callirhoe 53 

Calmar, Winneshiek county 107 

Calvin, Samuel 168 

CaiKas 56 

Campbell, Robert W ......'..................! 159 

Cambrian sandstone 270 

Canadian bluegrass ].........[[....... 166 

Canadian yew ...........' 145 

Cancer root ...[................... 97 

Canton, ,Jackson county 134, 136 

Carboniferous sandstone ......' 75 

Cardinal flower g'o 238 

Carr, B. M . .* 48 

Carroll, Carroll county 274 

Carrot • • • • • ^^^ 

Casey, (Mrs. ) Joseph M 282 

Catchfiy 57 

Caton creek, Boone county .!..............!!.!.! 115 

Cattail Oil, ir,'6, '236,' '2'4'2', 252 

Caves, Jackson county 203 

Cedar 239 

Cedar Rapids, Linn county 94 96 97 202 204 

Cedar river 71, 73, 75, 94, 98, 142, 143, 144, 'l55', 167! 197 

Cedar Valley, near Osage 141-2 

Center lake. Dickinson county 177 

Cerro Gordo, Winnelnigo and" Hancock counties . . . . 167 

Chalybeate Springs, Muscatine county 72 

Chandler Cliffs, Mitchell county . . . . 141 

Cherokee, Cherokee county 275 

Chequest creek. Van Buren county . 63 70 

Cherry 24, 42, 65, 74, 79, 89, 90, 100, 117, 125, 129, 145, 152, iss] 166 

Chestnut oak 42, 65, 67, 74, 79, 121, 166 

duckweed 75 

Cliinch-bug ..'.'.'..........'. 257 

Chipmunk 308 

Chokecherry 42. 65, 67, 74," 85,' ■8'9', '125,' 152,' 'l'5'5', 166 

Clarmda, Page county 158 

Clarke, Charles F 247 

Clarke, (Gov. ) George W.. Arbor Day i)roclamation .... . . . . . . '. . . '. . . '. '. '. ' ' 31-32 

Clark, (U. S. Sen.) William A 63 

Clayton county 270 

Clear lake, Cerro Gordo county 28, 98, 99, 123, 169, 178, 278 283 

Clear Lake an Iowa Playground ioi-3 

Clear Lake Should Be a State Park 98 

Clematis 144_ 239 

Clermont, Payette county 109 218 

Cliff brake .'. ' 143 

Cliffland, Wapello county .151, 273 

Clinton, Clinton county II4' 185 

Clover . 55, 56. 57. 75', '76, 89! 166 

Club moss 76 

Coal Measures Sandstone .88, 93 

Coate's creek. Van Buren county !.!!!.!!!!!!!! 7o! 71 

Coe college, Linn county. . . ; 97 

Coffee bean •. 42, 53,' 'e's! '74,' 80! '89', 152 

Cohosh 146 

Cole, Eli. Jr 146 

Columbine '. . 46, '79,' 144," 'l'.5'2', 'i,55,' 208! 2'2'3', 230 

Columbus. Louisa county 63 

Community Center Knterpri-ses in Relation to State Parks. ............. .292-4 

Compass plant 55 

Conard, Henry S !!!!!!!!' 224 

Coneflower '. .'.'.'.'.".'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.■.'.^'s,' '56. 167 

Oonsorvation of Animal Life 306-8 

Conservation of Natural Scenery in Iowa !!!!!!!! 276-9 

Conservation of Pi-airie 283-4 

Consei'ving our Birthright ..!!!!!!!! ! 212-14 

Cooper, George R 26 

Coots ! ■ ■ 243 

Coral berry ! 54 

Cordova, Marion county !!!!!.! 89 

Coreopsis 56.' i 66.' I'e"?, 22.5 

Cornel 87. 152, 155. 239 



316 INDEX 

Page 

Cornell college, Linn county 97 

Corson, G. E 68 

Corydalis 56 

Coteaudes Prairies 131, 136 

Cotton-boll weevil 257 

Cotton-tail rabbit 265 

Cottonville, Jackson county 78 

Cottonwood 42, 53, 65, 67, 74, 80, 89, 121, 152, 157, 239 

Cottonwood river 136 

Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie countv 54, 102, 202, 275, 283 

County Parks 290-2 

County Parks and Forests 288-90, 294-7 

Cowbane 171 

Cowles, (Dr. ) H. C 73 

Crabapple 42, 65, 74, 79, 89, 99, 125, 145, 166, 225, 227, 237, 240, 248, 288 

Crab grass 76 

Cranberry 42 

Crandall's Lodge, Dickinson county 176 

Cranesbill 118 

Cratty, Robert Irvin 221 

Cresco, Howard county 106 

Crinoid 60 

Croton, Lee county 62, 66, 151 

Crow 253 

Crowley, O. W 11 

Crystal lake, Hancock 109, 126 

Cucumber-beetle 257 

Cully, Prank H 200, 309 

Cup plant 167 

Curlew 254, 308 

Currant 42 

Curtis. Charles F 191, 279 

Cutworms 257 

Daisy 86, 99, 230 

Dakota sandstone 59 

Dalea 53, 55, 56 

Dalles of the St. Croix 204 

Dance Hall, Jackson county 79 

Dandelion 56 

Daniel Boone trail 307 

Dark Hollow, Linn county 96 

Davenport, Scott county 72, 202, 267 

Davenport, George L ■ , 263 

Davis, Andrew J 64 

Davis county : 70 

Day, (Mother) pioneer 103 

Day, (Uncle) pioneer , 103 

Dead Man's lake. Winnebago county 125, 129 

Decorah, Winneshiek county 103, 108, 310 

Decorah Ice Cave, Winneshiek county 105, 107 

Deer 308 

Deer creek, Webster county 93 

Deer Mouse 308 

Delaware county 142, 270 

Dell Rapids. Lyon county 136 

Denver. Bremer county 289 

Description of Pilot Mound 123 

Des Moines, Polk county 63, 66, 150, 159, 160, 199, 202 

Des Moines Bluffs in Mahaska county 154-5 

Des Moines river 20, 60, 68, 69, 70, 85, 87, 91, 

113-5, 122, 134, 147, 155, 159, 198, 251, 273 

Des Moines River Bluffs near Leighton 158-9 

Des Moines Bluffs State Park • 159 

Devil's Backbone, Delaware county 11, 272, 304 

Devil's Backbone. Madison county 19 

Devil's Cave, Boone county 120 

Devil's Lane, Muscatine county 72, 272 

Dewberry 67 

De Witt, Clinton county 283 

Diagonal trail Ill 

Diamond lake, Dickinson county 177 

Dickinson county 176 

Diehl, William W 122 

Dillon, John F 62 

Dining Room, Jackson county 79 

Disappearance of Native Plants in Iowa 235-7 

Dogw^ool 42, 6.''., 67. 74, 89, 90, 114. 117, 145, 166 

Dorr, M. L 218 

Douds-Leando. Van Buren county 64, 66 

Douglas, David 87 

Dragon root 252 



INDEX 317 

Page 

Dragon's head 117. 171 

Drainage of Cerro Gordo county 168-9 

Drake, F. E 91 

Drake's Gulch, Webster county 92 

Dropseed grass 56, 57, 76 

Dubuque, Dubuque county 19, 102, 104. 147, 185 202, 272 

Dubuque county 80, 270 

Duck 156. 243, 250, 254 

Dug Way, Winneshiek county 105, 310 

Duncan, Hancock county 242 

Dunham. George W 14 

Dunning's Spring, Winneshiek county 105 

Dutchman's breeches 46, 86, 105, 146, 155 

Dutton, (Mrs.) Viva 26 

Eagle City, Hardin county Ill, 112, 113 

Eagle lake, Hancock county 197, 242, 243 

East Iowa Scenic trail 310 

Echinoderms 60 

Edgewood, Clayton county 144 

Elderberry .42, 288 

Eldon, Wapello county 14, 60, 61. 64, 65, 66 

Eldora, Hardin county 110, 112, 197 

Eldora sandstone 112 

Elephant Bluff 271 

Elk 247, 248 

Elk creek, Boone county 115 

Elk Run, Hardin county 112 

Elkader 218 

Ellsworth, Minnesota 135 

Elm 42. 45, 53, 65, 74. 80. 88, 89, 90, 

96, 99. too, 117, 121, 145, 152. 157. 159, 166, 289 

Ely's Branch, Van Buren county 21 

Emerson, Mills county 58 

Emmet county 274 

Emmetsburg, Palo Alto county 149, 275 

Establishing of National Forest Reserves 215, 2l'7 

Estherville, Emmet county 119, ::73 

Etzel. (Mrs.) J. L 283 

Evans. H. C 32. 

Evanston. Webster county PI 

Everett, (Mrs. ) Leonard 283 

Everlasting 55, 89, 167 

Eversole creek, Boone county 115 

Evolution of Forest, Park and Conservation Sentiment in Iowa 263-6 

Executive Council i, 14, 15 

Fairport, Muscatine county 72, 73, 267 

Farmington, Van Buren county 20, Gl, 62, 66. 69. 151 

Favorite. ( steamboat ) 178 

Fayette county 2'70 

Fern 42. 54, 76, 80. 90, 92. 97, 105, 114. 118. 143. 144, 14,"), 155, 239 

Findlay, Charles V 90 

Fireweed 142 

Pish, Ed 300 

Fish Mound Group 300 

Fitchner, Otto 73 

Five fingers 57 

Flandreau 134, 136 

Flax 5;i, 56, 5T. 89 

Fleabane .■)(>, S9 

Fleming's Mill, Delaware county 48 

Flint Hill (early settlement) 263 

Flora of Jackson and Dubuque counties .■ 79-81 

Flora of Mitchell count.v 142-4 

Flora of the Bogs of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties 171 

Flora of the Ledges 122 

Florenceville 108 

Foglesong, L. Earl 11 

Forbush, B. H 246 

Ford, John F 1!, 14, 16, 17, 18. 88 

Forest and Game Preserves in Iowa 2 79 

Forest City. Winnebago county li'3, 121. 125, 126. 283 

Forest Flora of Hardin county 113-5 

Forestry Notes for Pilot Mound Area • :^h-7 

Forest Parks and their Relation to the Rural Coininunity 191-2 

Forest Parks in Iowa 192 

Forest Trees and Shrubs in Boone county 121 

Forest Trees of Mu.scatine county -71 

Forests and their Relation to Stream Flow 195-200 

Forestville. Delaware county 47 

Fort Armstrong 263 



318 INDEX 

Page 

Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek county 104 

Fort Des Moines, Polk comity 161 

Fort Dodge, Webster county 87, 88, 91, 102. 149, 161, 273 

Fort Madison, Lee county 282 

Foster, ( Mrs. ) A. J 110 

Foster. Frank E .- 109 

Four o'clock 56, 57 

Fox-glove • 57, 75 

Fox Island 63 

Fox river ; '. . 70 

Franklin county .' 112 

Francis, ( Sen. ) Leslie K 175 

Frazer. Boone county 80, 122, 150, 273 

Free Thought Colony 62 

Fremont county 19, 158 

Fremont. John C 176 

Fuller, Hal C , 91 

Gable Farm 143 

Galena limestone 107 

Galena-Plattville limestone 162 

Galland. Lee county 269 

Gallinule 243, 253 

Game Protection in Iowa 255-60 

Gar lakes, Dickinson county 177 

Garner, Hancock county 125 

Gate City (newspaper) 62 

Geese 247, 250, 252 

Gentian 89, 171, 223, 236, 252, 283 

Geology of 

Delaware county 47-8 

Hardin county 111-13 

Lvon county 134-6 

Mills county 58-60 

Muscatine county 71-2 

Palisades 98 

Van Buren county 67-71 

Webster county 93 

Geranium 143, 239 

Gettysburg. Pennsylvania 201 

Gifford. Hardin county Ill 

Gifford Terrace 112 

Gilbert, Winifred 125 

Ginger 46 

Ginseng 75 

Gitchie Manito Park, Lyon county 130 

Give Beauty its Rightful Place 34 

Glass snake ,. 308 

Glen Park. Wisconsin 204 

Glenwood. Mills county 54, 58. 157 

Goat's beard 75 

God's Great Out-of-Doors 36-7 

Goldenrod 55, 57, 75, 86. 99. 145. 166, 167, 228, 230, 283, 288 

Goodell. S. E 23 

Gooseberry 42. 74, 85, 227 

Gordon. Charles H 69 

Gould, Jay 160 

Grape 42. 54. 67, 74, 79, 89, 143, 144, 145, 166, 227, 239 

Gray, (Dr. ) Asa 80 

Great auk 254 

Great Plains 131 

Greater Iowa Association 280 

Grebe 243, 252 

Greene county 93, 274 

Greene, Wesley 263 

Green Island. Jackson county 80 

Grosbeak 97 

Gum weed 53, 55 

Guttenberg, Clayton county 272 

Gypsum 88 

Gypsum Hollow, M^ebster count.v 88 

Hackberry 42, 45, 53, 65, 67, 74, 80, 100, 155, 166 

Half Breed Tract. Lee count.y 61 

Hamburg, Fremont county 53. 54 

Hancock county Ill, 197 

Hancock, (Capt. ) Frederick 62 

Happy Hollow. Buckingham lake area 54 

Hardin City, Hardin county Ill 

Hardin county 109, 113. 115, 274 

Harding, (Gov.) W. L 3, 12, 14 

Inaugural address 31 



INDEX 319 

Page 
Harlan, Edgar R., Secretary Iowa State Board of Conservation ... .2, 11, 14, 

15. 17, 18, 60, 91, 98, 160 

Hart, (Mrs. ) Pervilla Alsever 85 

Hartwick, Poweshiek county 48 

Harvey, Marion county 150, 160 

Haw 42. 65. 74. 89, 145, 227, 240 

Hawk .- .252, 253 

Hawker, H. W 74 

Hawkeye highway Ill 

Hawkweed 76 

Hawthorne 240, 248 

Hayden, Ada 283 

Hayes, Gordon 157 

Hazelnut 42, 67. 74. 125. 152, 155, 166, 289 

Head of Death, See Tete des Morts 

Helenium 228 

Hemlock 46, 96 

Henderson, Mills county 58 

Hennepin, (Father) Louis 91, 146, 176 

Henning, Carl F 116 

Henton. Mills county 58 

Hepatica 46, 89, 105. 143, 146, 223, 240 

Heron 243, 252 

Hickory 45. 65, 67, 74, S7, S8, 89, 96. 99, 121. 145. 159, 166, 177 

Hillsdale, Mills county 58 

Hinkles. (pioneer family) • 64 

Hinsdale, Wapello county 66 

Hinshaw, Elmer C 17, 186 

Historical Department of Iowa 218 

Historical Society of Iowa 218 

Hoadley, B. W 107 

Hog-pea 75, 89 

Holady creek. Webster county 93 

Holcomb creek. Van Buren county 70 

Holdoegel. Perry C 19 

Honey creek, Van Buren county 71, 122 

Honey locust 42, 53, 65 

Honeysuckle 42, 74, 79. 100, 114, 144, 145, 240 

Hophorn beam 67, 96, 121. 152, 155 

Korchem. (Sen.) B. .1 .284,300 

Hornaday. (Dr. ) W. T 243, 247 

Horse mint 56, 166 

Hosackia 57 

House, (Mrs.) A. .1 79 

Hoyt, E. H., Treasurer of State 11, 17, 18 

Huckleberry 74, 76 

Hyacinth 75. 236, 252 

Hypnum 114 

Ice Caves, Winneshiek county 19, 271 

Independent. See Selma 

Indian creek. Van Buren county 66, 70 

Indian Head Bluff, Mitchell county 144 

Indian pipe 97, 143 

Indian spring, Des Moines county 272 

Indian trails 54 

Indian turnip 117, 167 

Indigo 42, 74, 89 

Interstate Power Company, Winnesliiek county 106 

Interstate trail Ill 

In the Switzerland of Iowa 103-7 

Introduction 1-2 

Inyan-Sha-Sha- Watpa, See Des Moines river 

Iowa Central R. R 112 

Iowa City, Johnson county '.97, 197 

Iowa Falls . 112, 156, 197. 273. 283, 310 

Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs 282 

Iowa Forestry and Conservation Association 260 

Iowa lake. Kossuth county 148 

Iowa river 24. 109. 113, 115. 197, 273 

Iowa's Native Plant Life 229-31 

Iowa's W'aterfowl. Shore and Marsh Birds 250-2 

Iowa thistle 167 

lowaville. Van Ruren county 64 

loways. Indian tribe 64 

Ireland, Archbishop 91 

Iris 99, 143, 236, 242, 252 

Ironweed 55. 142, 167 

Ironwood 42, 46, 53, 74, 89, 121 

Irvington, Kossuth county 148 

Ivanhoe Bridge. Linn county 98 



320 INDEX 

Page 

Jack-in-the-pulpit 42.86, 223, 230 

Jackoak 99, 129 

Jackson, (Mrs. ) J. C 283 

Jackson county 88, 272 

James river 134, 136 

Jasper pool, Lyon county 137, 276 

Jefferson county 21 

Jefferson highway Ill, 279, 309 

Jewel Junction, Hamilton county 156 

Jewelweed 114, 144, 167, 239 

Job, Herbert K 246 

Johnson, W. H 74 

Joint grass 56 

Jones, Ira W 98 

Jones, L. E 110 

Jordan, (pioneer family) 64 

Jordan Homestead, Van Buren county 64 

.Jordan sandstone 162 

Juniper 42, 81 

Kappel, (Mrs. ) 19 

Kay, (Dr,) George F 18, 153 

Kelley, (Prof,) 18 

Kellog, Harriett S 237 

Kelso, Joseph, Jr 11, 14, 16, 17, 88 

Keokuk, Lee county 66, 106, 151. 267, 269, 270 

Keosauqua, Van Buren county 19, 63, 66, 70, 151, 273 

Ketcham, B. F 20 

Keyes, (Prof. ) Charles R 18 

Keyes Knob, Lyon county 137 

Kilbourn, Van Buren county 63. 66, 69, 71, 151 

Kingfisher 100 

Kneeland, Abner 62 

Knotweed 56 

Knoxville. Marion county 61 

Koren, (Rev.) Vilhelm, Norwegian emigrant 104 

Kossuth county 126 

Kuhnia 166 

Lacey, (Major) John F 35, 158, 207 

Lady-slipper 90, 117, 144 236, 238 

Lake Cooper, Lee county 269 

Lake Harmon, Winnebago county 126 

Lake Itasca Park, Minnesota 204 

Lake of the Woods 241 

Lake Park, Dickinson county 177 

Lakes of Iowa 179-81 

Lake View, Sac county 178 

Lament, Buchanan county 45 

La Motte, Lussiere. French officer 147 

La Motte, Jackson county 146 

Lane, Franklin K., Secretary of Interior 34 

Lansing, Allamakee county 106, 299 

Larkspur 56, 152 

La Salle, Rene-Robert Cavelier 147 

Law creating Iowa's parks 7-10 

Lazell, Frederick J 17, 36. 95, 202 

Lazell, (Mrs.) Frederick J 18 

Lead plant 57. 74. 89, 166 

Leatherwood 42 

Le Claire. Antoine, (Indian interpreter) 263 

Ledges, Boone county 19. 89, 115, 150. 184. 273 

Ledges. Nature's Gift to Iowa 116-21 

Lee county 20, 269 

Leech lake. (Indian reservation) Minnesota 214 

Lees, James H 43, 76, 94, lii7, 141, 147, 155, 162, 163, 270 

Le Fevre 147 

Le Fevre river 146 

Lehigh, Webster county 91, 93 

Lettuce 56 

Lewis and Clark expedition 176 

Lexington. Van Buren county 63 

Lick creek. Van Buren county ' 63, 70, 71 

Licorice 57 

Lily 100, 142, 236, 252. 283 

Lime creek, Cerro Gordo county 168, 273 

Lime creek, Winnebago county 125, 126, 129, 167 

Lincoln, George 243 

Lincoln highway 96, 279, 309 

Linden d 100 

Lisbon. Linn county 94, 98 

Little Rock, Lyon county 136 



INDEX 321 

Page 

Little Sioux river 177 

Little Wall lake, Hamilton county 155-7 

Livermore, Humboldt county 149 

Lizard creek, Webster county 88. 93 

Lobelia 56, 114, 167 

Loco weed 53, 55, 56 

Locust 67, 74, 80, 89, 152, 155 

Loess 47 

Loess Area of Western Iowa 55-7 

Lookout Mountain, Tennessee 201 

Lost Island lake, Palo Alto county 275 

Louisa county 268 

Lousewort 46, 75. 171 

Lower Des Moines 152-3 

Lower Des Moines Area 14, 40, 65-9 

Lungwort 46, 89 

Luther college, Winneshiek county 104 

Macbride. (Dr.) Thomas H 3, 34, 123, 126, 154, 179, 195, 215, 287. 302 

M'Crary residence. Van Buren county 62 

McDonald, (Prof.) G. B 18, 47, 192 

McDonald. Thomas 11 

McGregor. Clayton county 19. 80, 128, 160, 204, 218, 271, 279, 299 

McCjregor's Landing (early settlement) Clayton county 104 

McNider, ( Mrs. ) May H 18, 99, 123, 279, 282 

Mahaska county 160 

Mallard 247 

Mallow 53, 56 

Manchester, Delaware county 45 

Mandrake 80, 89. 152, 155 

Maple 42, 45, 54, 65, 67, 74, 80, 89, 90, 

117. 121, 125. 143, 144, 145, 155, 166, 225, 289 

Maquoketa, .lackson county 76 

Maquoketa river 45, 46, 47, 76, 79. 272, 304 

Marchautia 97 

Marigold 56. 143, 283 

Marsh elder 56 

Marsh thistle 171 

Marshall county Ill 

Marshalltown, Marshall county 102, 197 

Mason City, Cerro Gordo county 123, 169. 280 

Mather, Stephen T 34 

May apple 117 

Meadow grass 75. 76 

Meadow lark 283 

Mediapolis, Des Moines county 268 

Medium lake. Palo Alto county 149. 275 

Meigs, (Major) Montgomery "Cunningham 152 

Merriam, C. Hart 114 

Mesquite grass 53 

Mexican cosmos 208 

Middle river 163, 165 

Milford, Dickinson county 278 

Milk vetch 53,166 

Milk weed 53, 56, 100 

Mill creek. Mills county 58 

Mills county 19, 158 

Mill Spring, Winneshiek county 108. 271 

Mink 97 

Minnesota river 136 

Mint 56 

Mississippi river 61. 71, 7!", 114. 13fi. 146. 198. 2U4, 214. 279 

Mississippi Valley National Park 207, 218 

Mississippi Valley Scenic Matters 218 

Missouri Boundary War 62 

Missouri golden rod , 56 

Missouri river 251, 275 

Missouri river bluffs 52 

Missouri river flood plain 52 

Mitchell, Mitchell county 134, 136, 141, 144 

Mitchell couniy 143 

Moccasin flower 42. 146, 208. 230 

Moingona, Boone county 113. 115. 150 

Monkey Mountain, Wapello county 152 

Monkey Mountain Area near Ottumwa 152 

Monona county 275 

Montgomery county 19, 157 

Montpelier, Muscatine county 73 

Montrose, Lee county 269 

Moonseed 89, 144, 145. 166, 238 

Moosewood 90, 117 

21 



322 INDEX 

Page 

Moorehead Caves, Jackson county 40, 76, 79 

Morbeck, G. C 205 

Mormon Ridge. Marshall county 240 

Mormons 269 

Morning Glory 57, 75 

Mott, D. C, Asst. Secretary Board of Conservation 26 

Mounds, Van Buren county 64 

Mt. Hope 271 

Mt. Vernon. Linn county 94, 96, 97, 98, 272 

Mt. Zion, Van Buren county 66, 151 

Mud creek, Mills county 58 

Mud hens 156, 252 

Mueller, H. A 215 

Mulberry 65, 67 

Mulhall, (Mrs. ) John 283 

Munn, (Mrs.) A. W 283 

Muscatine. Muscatine county '. . . 267 

Muscatine island 75 

Muskrat 276 

Musquakie Indians, (Foxes) , 24 

Mustard 46, 56 

Myron, Allamakee county 163 

Napoleon, Van Buren county 62 

Nashua, Chickasaw county 18 

Nashville, Jackson county 269 

National Park and Forestry Reserve Resolutions 214-5 

Natural Bridge. Jackson county 19 

Natural Bridge and Caves, Jackson county 76-7 

Natural Park Site 51 

Nature Was Kind to Iowa 31 

Nauvoo, Illinois 269 

Needle grass 57 

Need of Recreation 33 

Nelson, (pioneer family) 64 

Netzer, G. M 101 

Nevada. Story county 211 

New Albia 299 

Newberry, (Sen.) B. W 11, 14 

New Era Community Center 72 

New Jersey tea 55. 57, 74. 152, 166 

Niagara Falls 201 

Niche 72 

Nicollet, Jean 154 

Nightshade 76 

Ninebark 42, 79, 97, 117, 145, 166 

Nishnabotna river 58, 157 

North central Iowa region ' 19 

Northeastern Iowa 19 

Norton, William Harmon 98 

Notes on Buckingham Lake Area 52-4 

Oak 85, 88, 90, 96, 125, 143, 145. 177. 243, 289 

Oak Openings 303 

Objects of Park and Forestry Association 217 

Oat grass 114 

Ocheyedan, Osceola county 153 

Ocheyedan Mound, Osceola county 153-4, 274 

Ocheyedan river 153 

Odessa lake, Muscatine county 19 

Okoboji lake, Dickinson county 28, 274, 278 

Old Ciiurch Tree. Van Buren county 63 

Old Farm, See Gable Farm 

Old Limekiln road, Mitchell countv 143 

Old Mill. Mitchell county 144 

Oleson, O. M 87 

One of Nature's Beauty Spots 85-7 

Oneota river 109, 162 

Oneota River at Decorah 107-9, 204, 271 

Opossum 97 

Orchid 90. 96, 143, 236, 238 

Orr. Ellison 27, 163, 297 

Osage, Mitchell county 141 

Osceola county 142, 274 

Oskaloosa, Mahaska county 155, 159, 283 

Otho, Webster county 85, 90 

Ottumwa, Wapello county 19, 61, 89, 151,160 

Our Lakes and Rivers ■. .184-6 

Our Lakes Need Protection 178-9 

Our Playgrounds Without Rivals 34 

Our Rich Natural Scenery 34 

Owen, David Dale 113 



INDEX 323 

Page 

Owl 252. 253, 308 

Owl's head 271 

Ox-eye 55 

Oxford Junction, Jones county 19 

Paige, F. W 91 

Paine, Albert Bigelow 63 

Paint brush 46, 55, 56 

Painted-cup • 46, 142 

Palastine, Van Buren county 62 

Palisades 97 

Palisades, Linn county • 18, 203 

Palisades, Lyon county 136 

Palisades of the Cedar River 95-8, 272 

Palisades Should Be a State Park 94-5 

Palo Alto county 149, 274 

Pamniel, (Dr.) L. H., Chairman Board of Conservation '. . . . 

3, 6, 11, 14, 17, 18, 41, 45, 52, 55, 65, 72. 79, 87, 113, 115. 116, 117, 121, 

144, 152, 154, 163, 166, 167, 178, 207, 215, 217, 286 

Parlts and Country Life 300-1 

Parks in Connection with State Highways 2 86-7 

Park Sites Along Upper Des Moines Valley 147-52 

Parnassas 171 

Paroquet 254 

Parnsip 89 

Partridge berry 239 

Partridge pea 56, 166 

Pasque flower • 55, 208, 238, 283 

Passenger pigeon 254 

Paw-paw 65, 80, 114 

Pearse, R. J 292 

Pease creek, Boone county 115, 117, 150 

Peat bogs 197 

Pecan 65, 80 

Pellett, Frank C 229 

Pelton's Woods, Mitchell county 144 

Pennyroyal 166 

People Urged to Plant Trees 31-2 

Peosta, Fox Indian Chief 147 

Peters, Lee 136 

Phalarope 252 

Phebes 97 

Philadelphia, See Kilbourne 

Phlox 75, 143, 225, 238 

Pickerel weed 25'^ 

Pickett, Charles E 62 

Pictured Rocks, Clayton county 272 

Pierce's Bridge, Mitchell county 143 

Pignut 42, 67, 74, 89 

Pike's Peak Area 19 

Pilot Knob, Hancock county 274 

Pilot Knob Should Be a Park 127-9 

Pilot Mound, Winnebago county 125, 129 

Pilot Mound Area 19 

Pilot Mound Beauties 125-6 

Pilot Rock, Cherokee county 275 

Pillsbury Point, Dickinson county 1'76 

Pine 113 

Pine creek, Muscatine county 71, 73, 75, 113, 114 

Pine groves near Waterville 27 

Pink 230 

Pin oak 65, 80 

Pin pinella 89 

Pintail 247 

Pittsburg, Van Buren county 63, 66, 71 

Place of Outdoor Recreation in our Modern Civilation 207-9 

Pleasant Hill, Van Buren county ." 63 

Pleasant Prairie station, Muscatine county 72 

Pleasant Ridge Animal Mound Group 300 

Ploughman, Emory 21 

Plover 252 

Plum 42, 46, 74, 79, 89, 125, 166, 227, 231, 288 

Plum creek, Delaware county 48 

Plum creek, Kossuth county 126 

Plymouth, Cerro Gordo county 62 

Plymouth Rock, Cerro Gordo county 108, 271 

Poison ivy 42, 54, 89, 166 

Polk, Jefferson S 160 

Pomme de terre .' 55, 56 

Pond lily 129. 156, 236. 238. 252 

Poplar 42. 46. 85, 145, 243 

Portland, See Douds-Leando 



324 INDEX 

Page 

Port Oro, Van Buren county 63 

Post oak 65 

Postville, Allamakee county 19, 162, 218 

Postville. Shelby county 106 

Potato beetle ■ 257 

Potosi 147 

Prairie chicken 248, 259 

Prairie cone flower 89 

Prairie creek, Webster bounty 87, 93 

Pratt, Herbert 89 

Preserving the Indian Mounds along the Mississippi 297-300 

Preservation of Iowa Lakes 181-4 

Preservation of Native Plants 237-41 

Preservation of Places of Historic Interest 209-12 

Preservation of Wild Plants in Iowa 221 

Preserve and Improve Our Lakes 186-7 

Preserve the Trees 35 

Price, (Mr.) 87 

Prickly ash 74 

Primrose 89 

Proceedings of Board of Conservation 11-28 

Proposed Park at Buckingham Lake 51-2 

Protecting the Migratory Birds 247-50 

Psoralea 56. 166 

Public Parks of Iowa 7-10 

Puccoon 55, 56 

Pulpit 79 

Pulpit Rock. Winneshiek county 105 

Pussy willow 46 

Pyrola 239 

Quaii 257 

Queen Anne's lace 230 

Quercitron oak 42. 79, 145, 152. 166 

Raccoon forks 60, 161 

Raccoon river 93. 97, 198 

Ragweed 53. 56 

Rail 243, 252 

Rainy river 239 

Rapids 63 

Raspberry 42, 74. 85, 145, 166, 288 

Ratcliff, W. C 17 

Rattlesnake plaintain 75 

Red bird 53, 65. 67, 74, 152 

Red cedar 42. 45, 81, 89. 90, 117, 145, 166 

Red oak 42, 45, 53, 65, 67, 74. 79. 89, 121, 129, 145. 157, 158, 159, 166 

Red river valley 136 

Red Rock, Marion county 19, 89, 150, 160 

Red Rock Bluff. Marion county. 150. 273 

Red Rock region, Marion county 160-2 

Red Rock sandstone 119 

Redstone. Minnesota 134, 136 

Reed canary grass 236, 252 

Reed creek. Van Buren county 70, 71 

Rees, (Sgt.) H. E 21 

Reeves, Elmer 288 

Reid. W. H 68 

Reindeer lichen 118, 155 

Reindeer Lichen at the Ledges 116 

Relation of State to National Parks 200-2 

Relation of the Community to the Preservation of Wild Plants 224,-27 

Report on 

Backbone area 41 

Lower Des Moines area 60-5 

Wildcat Den . . 72-6 

Reports to 

Executive Council 3-6 

Gov. W. L. Harding 3-6 

Reppart, Ferdinand 71 

Resolutions 11, 13. 14, 16, 22-3, 28 

Resolutions. Iowa Conservation Association 218 

Resolutions of the Academy of Sciences 214-15. 215-17 

Rice 242 

Rice cut grass 76 

Rice lake 167 

Richards. Seth 63 

Rickey, Lacey F ISS 

Ringgold county 93 

Rising Sun. See Pittsburg 

River-to-river highway 309 

Roach, (Miss) Lena ■ 282 



INDEX 325 

Page 

Roberts, H. L 23 

Robinson, (Buckley) 122 

Rochester, Minnesota 104, 154, 159 

Rock creek, Van Buren county 58, 63 

Rock Rapids 282 

Rock Run, Hardin county 110, 112 

Rocky mountain bee plant 53, 56 

Rose 42, 67, 74, 81, 89, 152, 222, 267, 288 

Rosin weed 228 

Ross, (Gov. ) of Texas 63 

Rosseau, Marion county, (early settlement) 162 

Rue 46, 100. 146, 171, 230 

Ruffed grouse 97 

Rural Parks in a Prairie State 302-6 

Rush 46, 55 

Ruthven, Palo Alto county 275 

Ryan farm, Mitchell county 144 

Rye 56 

Sacs and Foxes, Confederated Indian trilie 64, 146, 161 

Sage 56 

St. Donatus, See Tete des Morts 

St. Jacob's ladder 46. 75 

St. John, R. T 26 

St. Louis limestone 70 

St. Paul, Minnesota 104 

St. Peter sandstone 162, 270, 272 

Salubria 62 

Salvia 239 

Sandhill crane 248 

Sand piper 252 

Sandusky, Lee county 269 

Sandwort 75 

San Prairie, See Vincennes 

Sarsaparilla 75 

Saunders, Euclid 18 

Savage, Thornton Edmund 78 

Sawyer, (Mrs.) Bernice Lacey ." 283 

Saylor cabin 64 

Scenery at Iowa Falls 109-11 

Scenic Drives and Their Relation to a State Park System 309-11 

Schermerhorn, Zellah M 212 

Schmidt, G. Perle Wilson 209 

Scott. (Miss) Sadie Rae 27 

Secor, Arthur J 21 

Secor, Eugene 124, 127 

Sedges 89, 156 

Selma. Van Buren county 64 

Seneca snakeroot 89 

Sequoias 195 

Service berry 42, 74, 79. 89, 145, 155 

Shadtree 96. 227 

Sharp, Abbie Gardner 176 

Shellbark hickory 42 

Shenandoah, Page county 158. 283 

Shimek, (Prof.) Bohumil 73, 217, 276 

Shin leaf 46 

Shingle oak 152 

Shooting star 208 

Side oats 57, 166, 231 

Siloam Springs, Hardin county 110 

Silver city 58 

Silver creek. Mills county 58 

Silver lake, Dickinson county 177 

Silver lake, Minnesota 148 

Siouan mountains 121 

Sioux, Indian tribe '. 134. 146 

Sioux City, Woodbury county 53, 102, 153. 202, 275, 2.«3 

Sioux Falls 137 

Sioux Quartzite 136-7 

Skiller creek, Webster county 93 

Skullcap 56. 166 

Skunk 97, 276 

Skunk river 115, 121, 122, 157, 198, 269 

Sleepy Hollow. Linn county 96 

Slough grass 231 

Small, (Mrs.) W. B 51 

Smith, Joseph 64,269 

Smith. (Patriarch) Ashael 64 

Snipe 243 

Snowberry 42, 54, 55. 56 

Snow-on-the-mountains 56 



326 INDEX 

Page 

Soldier creek, Webster county 88 

Solomon, P. A 23 

Solomon's seal 75, 99 

Some Geological Aspects of Conservation 270-6 

Somes, M. P 87 

Sondrol, (Mrs. ) Carrie P 99 

Sorrel 56, 57, 74 

Source of Water Supply of Clear Lake 101 

Southeastern Iowa 19 

South fork river 11,113 

Southwestern Iowa 19 

Spanish bayonet 56 

See also yucca 

Spanish needle 167, 171 

Sparrow 252 

Spatter dock 80 

Specht's ferry, Dubuque county 80 

Spiderwort 100 

Spikenard 99 

Spillville, Winneshiek county 109 

Spirit lake. Dickinson county 28. 177. 210, 263, 274, 278 

Spirit Lake and the Okobojis 175-8 

Spleenwort 145 

Split Rock creek, Lyon county 136 

Spring beauty 42, 46, 54. 86, 143, 145. 155, 223, 225, 230 

Spring branch 46 

Spring Hollow, Linn county 96 

Spring Park, Mitchell county 143 

Spruce 171 

Spurge 56 

Spurrell, J. A 233, 250 

Squaw creek, Boone county 115 

Squaw creek, Johnson county 241 

Squirrel 121 

Staff tree 54 

Standard, ( Gov. ) of Missouri 63 

State Parks and Public Welfare 205-7 

Steamboat Rock, Hardin county 19, 86, 111. 112. 114, 184, 203 

Stevens, T. C 253 

Stevenson, W. H 68 

Storm lake, Buena Vista county 19, 178, 274, 278 

Stone Park, Woodbury county 153 

Story county '. 121 

Strawberry 75,89, 99 

Strawberry Point, Clayton county 45, 51 

Stump House, Van Buren county 64 

Sugar creek, Mitchell county 143 

Sumach 42, 46, 54, 57, 65, 74. 80, 100, 120, 145, 166, 288 

Sun flower 56. 57, 143, 167, 283, 288 

Supplementary report of the Devil's Backbone 45-7 

Sunset from Pilot Knob 124-5 

Swan 248, 250, 252 

Swan lake, Dickinson county 177 

Swamp oak 67,74, 80 

Sweet cicely 89 

Sweetland, Muscatine county 75 

Sweetland creek, Muscatine county 114 

Sweet William 46, 56, 75, 80. 89. 100. 118, 155. 167 

Switch grass 57, 79 

Sycamore 42, 65, 67. 74, 80. 152, 159, 166 

Tabor, Fremont county 54, 58 

Tama, Tama county 24 

Tamarack 171 

Taylor, (Mrs.) H. J 27, 221 

Teal 247, 252 

Tern : 156 

Tete des Morts, Jackson county 146 

Tete des Morts and Vicinity 146-7 

Tete des Morts creek, Jackson county •. 146 

Thistle 56.100 

Thompson, (Mrs.) Burt J 283 

Thorn apple 99 

Thornton, Cerro Gordo county 170 

Tickle grass 57, 79 

Tick trefoil 75, 89, 166, 167 

Topography of Boone county .115 

Topography of Morehead Caves Area 78 

Touch-me-not . 99, 155 

Touring in Iowa's Nooks and Corners 267-70 

Tracy, Marion county 150, 159 

Trenton limestone 104 



INDEX 327 

Page 

Trillium 42, 46, 75, 86, 105, 146 

Truax, T. R '. 294 

Trumpet creeper 65 

Tunnel Mill, Madison county 165 

Turin, Monona county 275 

Turkey river 109, 272 

Turkey vulture 97 

Turk's cap 236 

Turtle's head 7 5, 143 

Tuttle, Flora Mae 142 

Tuttle lake, Emmet county •. 14 8, 2 75 

Twain, Mark 23 

Twin flower 239 

Twin lakes, Calhoun county 155, 275 

Twin lakes 19, 28 

Twin lakes, Winnebago county 126 

Two Mile creek, Webster county 88, 149 

Udden, John A 5:^, 71 

Union Slough, Kossuth county 148 

Union, Hardin county Ill 

Upper Coal Measures . .* 165 

Upper Des Moines river 89 

Upper Iowa river 106 

Valder college, Winneshiek county 106 

"Van Buren county 20 

Vernon, Van Buren county i 63 

Vervain 55, 56 

Vesca -- 89 

Vetch . '. '. '. '. '. ". '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. ". *. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. . '. '. '. '. '. ". '. '. .4 2." "46, 54. 'bY. fs, ' 80,' fid, 231 

Vincennes, Lee county 151 

Violet 42, 46, 54, 57, 75, 80. 86, 89. 99. 105. 146, 152, 225, 230. 238, 282 

Virginia creeper 42, 54. 74, 89, 126, 145, 166 

Virgin's bower 143 

Wabonsie lake. Mills county 58 

Wahoo 42, 90, 97, 166. 239 

Wake robin lit 

Wall flower 56 

Wall lake. Sac county 19. 155. 236. 274 

Walnut 42, 65, 67, 80. 90. 100, 117. 121, 125. 129. 145. 155. 157, 166, 289 

Walnut Grove, Cerro Gordo county 100 

Walrath, W. H 17 

Wapello county 160, 268 

Wapsipinicon river 272 

Warbler 97, 252 

Ward Brothers .' 243 

Ware, Phil K 20 

Warren county 164 

Wa-shood Ne-shun-a-ga-tah, See Cedar river 

Watercress .- 143 

Waterleaf 75, 96 

Water lily 80 

Waterville, Allamakee county 19 

Waugh, (Protf.) Frank A 201, 311 

Waukon, Allamakee county 19. 106, 218 

Waukon-Decorah, Winnebago chief 104 

Waukon Sphinx, Jackson county 276 

Waverly, Bremer county 289 

Waxwing 97 

Weaver, Henry 268 

Webster City, Hamilton county 114, 156 

Webster county 87, 93 

Welsch, ( Mr. ) 73 

Wellman, Charles A 152 

What Bird Conservation Means 253-5 

Wheeler. ( Mrs. ) Walter 143 

White oak 42, 45. 65. 67, 74. 79. 89, 121. 129, 145, 152. -i.SS. 159. 166, 177 

White mountains 201 

White pine 42, 45, 73, 74, 81, 184, 185. 194 

White snake root 167 

Wick, Barthinius L., lawyer 18 

Widgeon 247 

Wild Bird Protection in Iowa 244-7 

Wildcat Cave and Woodman's Hollow 91-2 

Wildcat Den, Hardin county 19 

Wildcat Den, Muscatine county 19. 40, 72. 75, 114, 155, 184. 203 

Wildcat Glen, See Wildcat Den 

Wildcat Glen, Hardin county 110, 112 

Wilder, Frank A., geologist 93, 134 

Wild oats 76 



328 ' INDEX 

Page 

Willett station. Van Buren county 70 

Willow 42, 5G, Ii7, 74, 81, "Jii, 121, 152, 155, 166. 171 

Willow creek, Cerro Gordo county 2 73 

Wilson. D. 163 

Wind flower 46, 57, 89 

Winnebago county 274 

Winnebagoes, Indian tribe 104, 146 

Winneshiek county 19, 142, 270, 310 

Winneshiek, Winnebago chief 104 

Winona track, Mitchell county 144 

Winterset, Madison county 163 

Wire worms 257 

Wiry drop seed grass 53 

Women Want Iowa Scenery Preserved 27;i- 83 

Woodcock 252 

Wood duck 100 

Wood lake, Hancock county 243 

Woodman's Hollow and Wildcat Den 87, 89. 90 

Woodman's Hollow, Webster county 203 

Worth, Cerro Gordo county 168 

Wren 252 

Wright, George G 62 

Wyoming Hill 75 

Xenia, Hardin county 112 

Yarrow 57 

Yellow grass 75 

Yellow river 19, 162 

Yellow River Region in Allamakee county 163 

Yellow River A^alley North of Postville 162 

Yellowstone Park, Wyoming 201 

Yew 46, 96, 145 

Young, Brigham 269 

Yucca 53 

Zizia 89 



